Personal Statement
Traveling to France to play against some of the best teams across Europe, when I was just ten years old, was amazing! I had always loved playing soccer, but it was during this incredible experience that I realized I wanted to commit myself to someday playing at the highest level possible. I trained really hard and two years later I earned a spot on the US Youth National Futsal teams that competed in Costa Rica and Montreal. Having the privilege of wearing a USA jersey and representing my country on the futsal court was truly a humbling honor.
Playing five years for Sporting Kansas City MLS Academy taught me many things, and helped me develop as a person and as a soccer player. I learned to successfully manage a rigorous academic workload along with intense practices five days a week and weekend travel. The Academy presented a unique environment where I honed my soccer IQ, tactical skills, foot skills, physicality, and work ethic. However, most importantly, I strengthened my mental game and challenged myself to treat each practice as a tryout.
I could have taken the safe path and continued to play for the Academy, but I knew my development was no longer progressing and I needed a change. So I made the very difficult decision to leave, I bet on myself. I embraced the joy of playing varsity soccer for my high school for the first time, and I’m thriving playing with a new ECNL team. These experiences have helped prepare me academically, mentally, physically, and personally to take the next step to become a successful collegiate student-athlete.
