- 2015 Highlights
Personal Statement
My name is Ethan Shanley and I am a 2016 graduate at Santa Monica High School in Santa Monica, California. I am personally aiming to be the first athletic student in my family history.
Soccer has always been a huge part of my life. My second year at Santa Monica High School I was the only sophomore on the Varsity team. Starting on a team that had 26 seniors on the roster, five of which competed for my position in center midfield, was no easy feat but I managed to win the starting position and held that spot without fail throughout the season.
I progressed through youth soccer and have continued to enjoy great success with my club team, FCLA B97 Black. We have won every division in consecutive seasons in Coast Soccer League, from Bronze, through Silver and Gold, to the top tier Premier which we won in our 1st season of promotion. Our club then changed leagues to the SCDSL where we currently compete in flight #1. Our team have been invited and competed in multiple prestigious tournaments such as Dallas Cup (4 times), National cup (5 times), and Surf Cup (3 times). I am currently the captain of our team (FCLA B97 Black) and have been selected as captain through five coaching changes by each new coach as well as my peers. As a captain I value the ability to be fair, honest, polite and respectful, both on and off the field as my actions in one are reflected on the other.
I would describe myself as being very coachable and willing to put in the work to continue to improve all aspects of my game. I welcome feedback and truly enjoy receiving coaching tips/advice that I can then add to my game to help me grow as a player and a person. Being a student-athlete means that I have to find a comfortable balance between school and soccer. I strive to maintain good grades and take challenging courses such as Honors and Advanced Placement classes. It is very important to me that when I play college soccer I am to find the same balance that will allow me to reach my goals academically without hindering how I perform on the field. Yet, I want to be comfortable with my classes so that my grades do not suffer when I work hard for the team.
Following high school, my goal is to attend a university to study Kinesiology and to do this I have to work hard in a compatible environment that will enable me to thrive in all aspects, as a student both academically and athletically.
