- Arsenal FC Scrimmage
Personal Statement
I aspire to attend a Division 1 college and play on a soccer scholarship. I would then like to play professional soccer, if I have the opportunity. I would also like to study medicine, engineering or business. I am working hard in school and on the soccer field to accomplish all of these goals.
As to my soccer, the summer of 2014 had some exciting highlights. I started by being invited to play with the Chivas USA Professional Reserve Team against the Montreal Impact. I was able to train with a player I respect on the Chivas USA Professional Team – Oswaldo Minda. Minda has been the starting Defensive Center Midfielder for Chivas USA for several years. I also competed this summer in the 2014 Milk Cup in Northern Ireland. It was a great experience for me and exposed me to top European and Spanish soccer teams. I was also recently informed that I made Arsenal FC’s USSDA U18 Academy Soccer Team. The team is based in Ontario, CA. I am eligible to play for this team for two years. I will be wearing #10 during the 2014-2015 season. PJ Brown is the Head Coach and Vice President of Soccer Operations for Arsenal FC. Coach Brown played in Major League Soccer for the Colorado Rapids as a Defender. I am looking forward to playing for this prestigious club.
My previous soccer club was Chivas USA. I played for the Chivas USA Youth Academy for three seasons. I started all three years as a midfielder. I played over 90% of the minutes for the U16 USSDA Academy Team for the 2013-2014 season. I was the starting Defensive Center Midfielder during this period. We finished 5th in our division, which was very competitive. Three of the top four teams in our division made it to the finals and semi-finals of the USSDA National Championship Tournament. The Chivas USA U15 Pre-Academy team, which I played on during the 2012-2013 season, came in 4th out of 27 teams, with an impressive 8-2-0 record, in the highly competitive Southern California Development Soccer League (SCDSL). I was also privileged to play with the Chivas USA U15 Academy team at the 2012 Generation Adidas MLS Cup Championship in Seattle Washington, where the Chivas USA competed against other MLS Academy teams from across the United States. Our team won the tournament. I played extensively during this tournament as the starting Defensive Center Midfielder, including the semi-final and final games. I decided to leave the Chivas USA organization after the end of the 2013-2014 season. It was, however, a great experience for me. The Chivas USA organization helped me become a better soccer player and exposed me to some wonderful opportunities.
In addition to the Chivas USA, I have had the opportunity to play for some other great soccer clubs and have been trained by some top-level coaches. I have played for Beach FC, South Bay Force FC, South Bay Soccer Club, and Andromeda FC. My coaches have included Coach Juan Sanchez (Eight-Time South Coast Conference (SCC) Champion and the SCC Men’s Soccer Coach of the Year), Coach Alex Zotinca (former MLS player), Coach Keith Costigan (a former professional soccer player who works as a television analyst and commentator for Fox Soccer), Coach Danny Pena (former MLS player), Coach Marcus Chorvat (NCAA Champion with Indiana), Coach Michael Jacobson (Coach at Cal State LA), and Coach Tony Bily. Other Directors and Coaches that have worked with me are Chivas USA Academy Director Sacha van der Most van Spijk, Pateadores Academy Director Teddy Chronopoulos, Former Chivas USA Academy Technical Director and current Head Coach of the Montreal Impact Greg Vanney, and Former South Bay Force Director Todd Saldana. I am also forever indebted to my long-time skills coach and mentor -- Coach Ignacio Lopez. I have worked with Coach “Nacho” since I was eight years old.
I have been on numerous winning teams, with my Academy and Club teams winning an impressive 25 tournaments since 2008. In 2010, my club team, South Bay Force, was ranked first in the USA according to National Soccer Ranking.Com, and won Cal South State Cup in 2009, with me playing starting defensive center midfielder during this entire time period. As a teammate, I am constantly looking out for my teammates and I am unselfish with the ball. I form strong bonds with my coaches, teammates, and teachers, and I love working in a team environment. I lead through my play, and my positive attitude and work ethic.
I also work hard in the classroom. I am a straight A student at Loyola High School in Los Angeles. I am currently ranked 1st out of 330 students, with a 4.12 - unweighted cumulative GPA and ranked 3rd out of 330 students, with a 4.47 - weighted cumulative GPA. Additionally, my 2013 fall semester GPA was a 4.86. During the 2014-2015 school year, I am taking some very challenging classes at my school. I am currently taking AP Chemistry, AP English 3, AP US History, Honors Pre-Calculus, Spanish 3, Moral Theology and Drawing 2. For the 2013-2014 school year, I also took the following challenging courses: AP World History, Honors Algebra 2, Honors Chemistry, Honors English, Spanish 2, PE and Drawing 2. I am also performing 25 hours of community service each year. This past year I worked with the St. Sebastian's Sports Project assisting an underprivileged school in South Central Los Angeles as an assistant soccer coach for 8 - 9 year old boys and girls. The highlight was a round robin tournament where I helped coach the kids.
