Harvard boys soccer alumni Alexis Robles, Alfredo Pichardo reunite to play indoor soccer

Alfredo Pichardo didn’t think he’d ever play organized soccer again until a lifelong friend gave him an opportunity to return to the sport he loved.

Pichardo, a 2017 Harvard High School alumnus, thought his days of playing organized soccer were done in 2021 after he graduated from North Park University, but Alexis Robles offered him a way back: Join him in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to play for a professional indoor soccer team, the Heat.

The decision wasn’t as simple as getting up and moving, but Pichardo eventually reunited with his lifelong friend as the two now live out their dreams of playing professional soccer together.

“I didn’t think that I’d be playing any sort of organized soccer,” Pichardo said. “I knew it was in the back of my head, but never full go let’s do this. Having this organized indoor soccer back in my life, it keeps me focused. I love soccer, and having it be organized is better for me.”

Pichardo and Robles’ friendship started when they were about 11 after they started playing club soccer together. They competed together for Harvard from 2014 to 2016 before Pichardo graduated in 2017. Robles graduated in 2018 and moved on to Lewis University.

Robles knew he wanted to stick with soccer after he was done playing at Lewis and learned that some former Lewis players joined teams in the Major Arena Soccer League, which is made up of 14 teams across the U.S. and Mexico that play indoors. Robles tried out and joined the St. Louis Ambush in the 2020-21 season before moving on to the Heat the following year.

That’s when recruiting his friend started. Pichardo tried to balance his career with an accounting firm and soccer after he graduated in 2021 and mostly played in recreational leagues in Chicago, but Robles offered him a chance to get back into organized soccer when he told him to try out in Harrisburg.

Pichardo wanted to get settled in his career for a year but came to Harrisburg before the start of this season to try out. He and Robles had a strong feeling he would make the team, but once Pichardo officially made the team and worked out a way to work remotely for three months in Pennsylvania, the two were excited to be back playing together again.

“It’s like life comes full circle,” Robles said. “He’s someone that I’ve grown up with. To be able to share the moments on the field is special, whether it’s amateur, club, high school, college, it’s nice to see and help each other grow.”

Robles and Pichardo have enjoyed having each other’s support as they’ve transitioned to playing a different sport in a new place. The indoor soccer games are played on a field about the size of a hockey rink. Only six players from each team play at a time, and there are unlimited substitutions throughout the game.

Both players said they’re still adjusting from playing 11-man soccer but are getting more acquainted with the game. The pace of indoor soccer is much faster than traditional outdoor soccer, and Pichardo and Robles have watched futsal games – indoor soccer played on hardwood courts – to learn more and relied on their coaches and teammates to improve.

The two also have tried to get acquainted with playing in a professional league. Teams compete in a 24-game regular season that starts at the beginning of December and lasts until the beginning of April.

Adjusting has been tough at times, but the two are grateful to have each other for support.

“I think this connection, not only for me but for him as well, it keeps us motivated,” Pichardo said. “We push each other to not just be comfortable with where we’re at. I think that’s something that’s important not just in soccer, but life.”

Despite the two reuniting on the same team this season, Pichardo and Robles’ reunion hasn’t officially happened on the field. Robles has been out with an ACL injury that he suffered in March and is expected to return in about six months. Pichardo has played in seven games this season and has one assist.

Both Pichardo and Robles are looking forward to playing together in their new home once Robles returns from his injury next season. They want to keep on playing until they can’t anymore, and they’re grateful for the opportunity to keep playing the sport they love with their best friend by their side.

“To be able to continue to play it at the next level, I’m just grateful to be able to do that,” Robles said. “I hope that is able to inspire other people from Harvard, that it’s possible to reach that next step after high school, after college.”