Beau Leroux used to find his ultimate meaning and identity through the lens of his achievements on the soccer field.
That all changed after the first-year San Jose Earthquakes midfielder suffered the first serious injury of his athletic career during his junior season at San Jose State University in the fall of 2023. For the time since he started playing the sport, Leroux would be relegated to the sidelines via injury, leaving him perturbed and empty.
“I’ve always had visions of going pro, but even more that year with it being so close,” Leroux said. “That injury, I felt the stress of the world coming upon me. It was confusing at the time.”
The saving grace, Leroux said, came in what happened afterward.
“The injury led me towards my Christian faith,” he said. “It led me into a relationship with God.”
Finding true purpose
Leroux has always had existential questions since his parents got divorced when he was 5 years old.
“The toughest thing I’ve wrestled with throughout my life is my parents’ divorce,” he said. “I never understood it growing up. I was really young and it damaged me in the sense I’ve never seen my parents together. I feel like growing up, I never knew what love was, and it was always hard for me to understand that.”
The most difficult aspect of his parents’ divorce was having a father who was never in the picture. Since the separation, Leroux has had zero contact with his father.
“Growing up without a father is an awful thing in this world,” Leroux said. “If I had my father around more in my youth, I think things would’ve made more sense. I would’ve had more security as well. But that’s where God comes in as the ultimate (heavenly) father. He’s always there for you.”
Though his earthly, biological father failed him, Leroux said he has found peace and comfort in a heavenly father who is always with him.
“Another reason why I believe in God is I’ve messed up so many times in my life, and I understand I can’t save myself (from my transgressions),” Leroux said. “It’s only through Jesus Christ who died and bled on the cross and all of humanity that has made this possible.”
Leroux, who considers himself to be a new believer in the Christian faith, attends weekly bible study sessions led by Earthquakes’ team co-chaplain Shea Salinas.
“Beau has been such an impressive man for being so young,” said Salinas, who also serves as the Earthquakes’ club ambassador and head of youth soccer partnerships. “For being so young, Beau has a sense of maturity but also humility with the willingness to learn and grow. Another thing that has impressed me a lot is his willingness to serve and be a leader. Our Quakes Foundation does clinics throughout the Bay Area, some of which are in low-income areas where kids are exposed to a dangerous lifestyle. Hopefully, a sport can help them out. We want to provide those soccer options for these kids.”
Salinas said Leroux has displayed servant leadership, a biblical concept from the life of Jesus, who said in Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Furthermore, Leroux has done it with heartfelt joy and gratitude.
“I asked Beau if he could help with some of the clinics, and he’s done every one of them,” Salinas said. “He doesn’t just come for the sake of coming. He engages, he plays soccer with the kids, he’s laughing and goofing off with them. He has a willingness to serve.”
Identity in Christ
For pro athletes, the pressure to perform and continually be productive can be stifling. The motto “here today, gone tomorrow” is a rather apt one in the pro sports arena, where a couple of subpar games can result in a spot on the bench.
So how does Leroux—a 6-foot, 165-pound 21-year-old—stay grounded and not allow what he does on the field affect how he views himself? Once again, it comes from his newfound faith.
“In terms of my identity, at the end of the day I belong—both body and spirit—to God,” Leroux said. “And that will never change. His love for me will never change. Everything I have in this world has been given to me. Just as God has given, he can also take away. I’m not one to think highly of myself. I know God can take all this away in an instant. So, I’m super grateful for anything I have and the trials I’ve been through. I know God’s word remains and he’s the same forever, so that keeps me secure in who I am.”
Excelling on the pitch
Entering this week’s action, Leroux was one of just two Quakes’ players—Ousseni Bouda being the other—who have played in all 24 matches, starting 20 of them. He ranks fourth on the team in minutes played, is tied for third with four goals, and has an 86% accurate pass number.
Leroux has been grateful with how his season has unfolded.
“I’ve always known I could contribute to this team, but I didn’t expect for things to go like this, to do this well,” he said. “So yes, it’s definitely been a pleasant surprise.”
A 2021 Santa Teresa High School graduate, Leroux went on to play three seasons at SJSU before the Quakes selected him with the 42nd overall pick in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft. Last year, Leroux had a starring role on San Jose’s MLS NEXT Pro team, The Town FC, scoring five goals and starting all but one of the team’s 24 matches. That set him up nicely for his rookie season with the first-team club this year.
Leroux’s transition to the pro ranks has been fairly smooth, aided by a deep desire to continually improve. As a new believer, Leroux wrestles with questions in regards to the Christian faith daily, deepening his view of God.
“I knew there was a God when I was younger, but I never had a relationship with him until the last two years,” he said. “I didn’t know that relationship could get deeper. But now I’m really wanting to get to know him, know his word and build a deeper relationship.”
Don’t get Leroux wrong: though he finds great satisfaction and joy in being a pro athlete, it no longer defines who he is. That’s why in the midst of struggles—personally or professionally—Leroux has a source of strength he can always rely on.
“When I’m facing difficulties, I would say remembering God’s word and what he says brings me calmness and security in any situation,” Leroux said. “I think I have more of a voice now, and if I can help bring others to Jesus, that’s my purpose.”
