There is a lot of time and effort that athletes invest in so that they can continually improve their game. Along with all the hard work, Imran Khan says that he has an outstanding group of people that encourage him along the way and help keep him focused.

“My biggest role models are my mom and dad,” he stated. “They support me in everything I do. It’s not easy playing competitive sports your whole life, there is a dark side. My parents have helped me and been supportive the whole way through.

There have also been some coaches along the way that have been impactful. Coach Phil Barkley has been a great influence and I look forward to being under his leadership during my high school years.

Coach Chris Taylor, my current coach at Tulsa Soccer Club has taught me so much within the short amount of time he’s been in my life. He taught me that the game of soccer is nearly 100% a mental game and so much more.

His ability as a coach to transform an adolescent into a young mature man is an undervalued quality. Another coach who has developed me into the player I am is coach John Michael Waite, a great mentor and a fantastic technical coach.”

A junior at Bishop Kelley, Imran currently plays soccer for Bishop Kelley and Tulsa Soccer Club. Outside of soccer, he is also a member of the Chess Club. He volunteers in his community by delivering Meals on Wheels.

Throughout his soccer career, Khan has enjoyed some great moments, but he says that there is one that definitely stands out as his favorite.

“I’ve had a lot of highlights in my career,” he recalled. “I would say my favorite and most transforming would be playing with the United States Youth Futsal National team. I traveled with the US futsal team to places like Barcelona and Portugal. It was amazing to play at such a high level with so many talents. Another highlight was playing during the summers of 2014 and 2016 with Flamengo, a professional development program in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where my mom is from.