Those are a few of the things Jose Altamirano broke when he was younger.

“We got kicked out of one of the apartments we used to live in because I broke too many windows,” Altamirano said.

Gabriela Jimenez, his mother, was quick to correct him.

“No, we were evicted from four apartments,” Jimenez said in Spanish. “He's always had a soccer ball near him. He goes to the restroom with a ball. He eats holding a ball.”

Wrecking apartments has paid off for the Southwest High senior midfielder known as “Guero” or “Whitey” for his light complexion and light-colored eyes.

Entering his senior season, Altamirano, 17, is regarded as one of the top high school soccer players in the nation. He was named to last year's Parade magazine All-America team and is a member of the U.S. Under-20 player pool.

Altamirano, a 5-foot-4, 125-pound son of immigrants from the Mexican state of Jalisco, has excelled as the Raiders' captain. He scored 12 goals last season while leading Southwest to a runner-up finish in the San Diego Section Division III playoffs.

Altamirano has traveled to Europe, Asia, South America, Central America and Mexico with the national team.

He credits two women for his success: his mother and friend Kelly Hylend, who helped sponsor Altamirano's Del Mar Sharks club fees.

“I never met my dad,” said Altamirano, who has made a commitment to play soccer at San Diego State University next year. “If it wasn't for my mom, I wouldn't be doing this. She's helped me through a lot. She just motivates me.”

Altamirano cherishes his mother's sacrifices. She raised him, his older sister and younger brother, often working two jobs to make ends meet and to raise money for Guero's soccer expenses.

“His father didn't want anything to do with him,” Jimenez said. “I worked in so many job fields to get by. Jose noticed it. Now he wants to give back.”

Altamirano said he hopes someday to earn enough money as a soccer player to pay for his brother's college tuition.

He also thought about changing his last name to honor his mother.

“I told him he's made honor of the name he carries,” Jimenez said. “Keep it, I told him.”

Altamirano's maturity hasn't gone unnoticed.

Southwest teammates lean on him on and off the field. He has developed a tight relationship with Raiders coach Guillermo “Memo” Medina, who has served as a father figure.

When Altamirano was living in Bradenton, Fla., as part of a soccer residency program as a sophomore, he often called Medina for advice. Culture shock and the death of his grandmother had taken a toll. Altamirano didn't see family for months.

“He called me and told me he wanted to come back,” Medina said. “I told him to stick it out. People would kill for that.”

Loneliness was temporarily erased by the pride Altamirano felt when wearing the national team jersey.

Altamirano said he's proud to play for his school, where he serves as a mentor to freshmen on the Raiders team.

“I know now another kid can do this, too,” Altamirano said. “I'm glad people see it can be done, especially one person in particular. Now it's my little brother who's breaking stuff.”