Air Traffic Controller Jorge Gómez: Tenisca's Goal-Scoring Legend

Jorge Gómez's story is truly remarkable. He's an air traffic controller, a prolific goal scorer, trained at the youth academies of Osasuna and Leganés, a former scholarship student at an American university, once a top 100 Spanish tennis player in his age group, and a legend at Tenisca. It's a tale full of surprising achievements and hidden challenges.

Last weekend, Tenisca won big, beating San Bartolomé 7-1 in their ninth league match. This game marked Juan Arsenal's debut as coach after Ceire Vargas resigned. It was a strong statement from the Mirca team after seven matches without a win, and it highlighted the impact of their striker, Jorge Gómez. He scored two goals, bringing his official tally to 99.

Jorge arrived in La Palma eight years ago as a newly qualified air traffic controller. He was assigned to the island and immediately looked for a team to balance his job with his passion for football. Tenisca found him even before he'd unpacked and brought him into the club right away. This started an unexpected bond. "You never imagine you can fit into a team so well," admits Jorge, who is from Talavera, especially not to build "that sense of belonging" as a player from mainland Spain.

His football journey on the 'Beautiful Island' has been tough, marked by physical injuries that might have made anyone else quit. He tore his cruciate ligament twice: first in 2018, just his third match after arriving, and again three years later during a playoff for promotion. Both times, he came back as the same determined striker. "When you've played football since you were 3 years old... it's a routine you have," he explains, adding that you "do everything possible to keep playing." He talks about his comebacks as if they were routine, noting, "I've made a comeback I don't know how many times at the Virgen de las Nieves."

This season, for example, he's been dealing with a hip injury for several weeks. But Jorge doesn't make a big deal out of it. He puts it in perspective and keeps going. Playing on a natural grass pitch like Mirca's and having such dedicated fans at Tenisca are perfect motivators: "they are always incentives that push you forward."

His commitment to football also exists alongside a demanding professional schedule. Being an air traffic controller involves tough shifts and a lot of responsibility, which he describes as "quite stressful," requiring "complete concentration." This contrast is one of the most fascinating parts of his story: football, for him, is more than just a hobby; it's a way to balance his mind and relieve stress.

Before coming to La Palma, Jorge's career seemed set for a classic rise in sports. Originally from Talavera de la Reina, he joined the Castilla-La Mancha regional team, which led him to Osasuna's youth team. There, he scored 20 goals in the top youth division, matching Iñaki Williams's tally. His progress at Osasuna was rapid. Before finishing his youth career, he was already training with the B team and spent several months with the first team under Javi Gracia, even being called up for a First Division match. However, an institutional crisis – "the president went to jail, the sporting director too," he recalls – led to contracts for players from outside Navarre being terminated. His was a casualty of this situation.

Afterward, he began rebuilding his career: playing in Segunda B with La Roda, then in Madrid's Tercera division with Puerta Bonita, where he was the top scorer in the second half of the season. Next, he went to the United States for both academics and sports. He studied Economics and scored 37 goals in two seasons, which put him in the MLS draft, reserved for "the 60 best university players." He was chosen by the Vancouver Whitecaps, but the contract terms didn't make up for the high cost of living in Canada, so he decided to return to Spain.

From there, he went to Leganés, once again close to the top level of football. Jorge started in several preseason matches with the first team – then managed by Asier Garitano – but after three games with the reserve team, he got the chance to start the air traffic controller course. "My parents told me to decide," he remembers. He chose the path that offered a future beyond the pitch, a "good opportunity" for his "professional future."

But Jorge's sporting past holds an even more surprising detail. As a teenager, he was among the top hundred national tennis players and even practiced with Rafa Nadal in Mallorca. His passion for tennis faded when Osasuna came calling. "You see that amount of money at that age and you say... I think I'll quit tennis."

In a few weeks, Jorge will leave Tenisca and La Palma. Without a fixed date yet, he will first go to Madrid for a six-month training course. After that, he'll choose a new professional location, likely "some Canary Island," but a capital one. Tenisca will be left with a huge gap. In the last three seasons, the striker from Talavera has scored 70 goals and has been the top scorer in his group each time. While it seems he will reach 100 goals before he leaves, he insists his priority is to "settle in the standings" and "say a good farewell to the fans and the team." Still, he admits that "reaching that scoring figure would be special."

Beyond the statistics, his connection with Tenisca is remarkably genuine for regional football. He calls it the club of his life, repeating it often. It has "given him everything, both in good times and bad." Wearing the white jersey, he experienced both relegations and celebrations. His happiest day at Mirca was when they returned to the Tercera División.