Camron Martin '17 Recruiting Profile

When I was younger, soccer was just a way for me to have fun and spend time with my friends. But in the Summer of 2013, I joined an elite team in my area known as DeAnza Force. They were the best team and they were known for having the highest level of players and coaches at all ages. Coming from a team in silver, (second to lowest in my area) it was quite the jump and I was insanely nervous when I got the email with the practice schedule on it, showing that I was on the team. During my first practice, I was ridiculed by the other players, as they yelled things like, “Learn how to pass the ball!” and “Cam, get off the field if you are going to defend like that!” After that practice it made me want to quit soccer all together, but after having a talk with my old coach, he told me that if I quit it would be exactly what they wanted me to do.  So, instead I worked on my own every day to reach the level that the other players were at. After months of doing this, I acquired a starting position on the team and gained the respect and friendship of all the other players. So, even though my competitive soccer career started out very rough, it has helped me learn to work through all of the obstacles and struggles until I am where I want to be.