- 2011 Highlights
Personal Statement
I am a 6'1'' senior, All-State First Team defensive back, All Region Defensive Player of the Year, team
Defensive MVP, championship team co-captain and field leader with ODP experience and an outstanding academic record - 3.68 GPA and 26 ACT, President's Award Scholar and Scholar-Athlete Honoree at Rock Bridge High School Bruins in Columbia, Missouri. I anchored the defense of the 2011 #2 ranked high school soccer team in Missouri as center back and did the same for our 2010 team, which finished ranked #3 in the state my junior year (2010). I have also had extensive experience as an outside back, capable of playing left or right side and have played center midfield. Our high school team finished the 2011 year at 28 – 4 with 19 shut-outs, after being ranked # 1 in the state throughout most of the season. My defense registered almost 40 shut-outs during my junior and senior years. Both years, I was the only constant player on both of those defenses. Playing in every game and directing the defense as center back, we maintained our top level defense with multiple players at goalkeeper and outside backs. Additional film from a number of games can be forward to coaches who are interested.
I was also selected 2011 All Region Defensive Player of the Year, All Region First Team, All District First Team and Team Defensive Most Valuable Player for 2010 and 2011. We just finished our second Final Four appearance in my final two years as a junior and senior, losing a heartbreaker in the semifinal game in
PKs after a 0 - 0 game following 2 OT periods. From a defensive perspective, we were the only team in the Final Four that did not have a goal scored against us in field play. I have two years of ODP experience and I traveled 100 miles one way multiple days per week to play club on Lou Fusz Stone (ranked #2 in 2010) and traveled weekends during 2010/2011playing the #1 and #2 ranked state teams including a number of academy teams in the MRL
Like most center backs, I bring size to a backfield and I take great pride in winning in the air. My coaches utilize my superior field vision to direct our strong team defense and I also to apply my superior individual defensive position skills to make the physical play needed to shut down an offensive attack. I am a tough minded competitor, known by my coaches to excel the higher the level of competition and the bigger the game. I also take great pride in mysuperior foot skills, developed through years of playing left/right back in offensive minded defenses and playing center midfield earlier in my career. My coaches will tell youthat I read flow and understand the game in addition to just playing my position. As a result, my style of play gives me the luxury of drawing on a number of different tools to shut down an attack from the pure physical approach to strong individual defending technique to anticipatory positioning and finesse on the ball, to using my superior speed to run down a forward. And I am able to use my strong ball skills to facilitate a quick offensive transition after winning the ball. Drawing on the versatility of these skills has made it possible to successfully defend against the speed and talent of top forwards in the highly competitive MRL (which consisted of the #1 or #2 ranked teams in the midwest), tournament, league and Class 3 (large school) high school play. I am also well known for my leadership on and off the field and my coaches throughout the years have encouraged my highly competitive nature, commenting that I am a player on the field who never gives up, works extremely hard to continually improve as a player who practices as hard as I play.
Some of the other key achievements for our team in 2011 include:
-Advancing to championship game of the CYC/Bob Guelker Tournament in St. Louis, defeating CBC
high school to win our bracket and play in the championship final.
-Winning the Kickapoo Invitational in Springfield, Missouri, allowing only one goal against in the tournament and beating #8 and #11 ranked teams in state.
- Some other key match-ups during the season – losing in overtime to Rockhurst H.S. 1-0
Highlights of Extensive Success and Experience Competing at High Competitive Levels:
-Starting center back/co-captain for 2011 Rock Bridge H.S., finishing ranked second in
state in Class 3
-Received game ball in final game of Final Four, scoring winning goal (only goal in final game)
-Starting center back for 2010 Rock Bridge H.S., finishing 3rd in state in Class 3, tying St. Louis U
-Leader in H.S. 3-5-2 formation that recorded 26-5-1 record (2010), with 19 shut outs
-Missouri ODP: starting center back for Missouri ’94 ODP team in 2010
-Member ofMissouri ’94 ODP Pool in 2011
-Play club ball with Lou Fusz –Stone, ranked #2 in state in 2010/11
-Excelled with Lou Fusz in 2010/11 in highly competitive, invitational Midwest Regional League
-Played in Europe on central Missouri U-18 team (at age 16) competed in Germany/Czech Republic
-Played on Columbia Pride U19 team, (at age 17)
Highlights of Personal Achievements in the Classroom to Date
- Current GPA is 3.68
- My ACT score is 26
- Member of National Honor Society and National German Honor Society
Previous High School, ODP and Club Experience
I have had two years of experience with state ODP in 2010 and 2011. I was selected starting center back for 2010 '94 Missouri Olympic Development team and a member of the 2011 ODP pool. I was granted second team all -district during my junior year (last fall 2010), and I was selected defensive MVP on my high
school team in 2010 after a very successful year culminating in a 2010 final four appearance with Rockhurst, Saint Louis U high and CBC high school. I found the recognition of my leadership ability especially rewarding and humbling given that I was selected defensive MVP on the heels of our record (26-5-1) and the accomplishment of earning 19 shutouts. I was given the responsibility of anchoring and directing a 3-5-2 formation as center back. On that squad and on every team that I play for, I have always tried to be a strong leader through my play on the field, my commitment to constantly improve my own skills and my willingness to share my experience with fellow players, especially those younger than I. I believe this is the reason that I have been voted by my teammates and selected co-captain by my high school coaches my freshman, sophomore and senior years.
In additional to my high school team, I believe I demonstrated my maturity, responsibility and superior drive playing for two club teams during 2012/2011. To play on my primary team Lou Fusz Stone ranked #2 in Missouri 2010/2011, I drove 100 miles one way multiple times per week for practices, in addition to traveling throughout the Midwest for games in the highly competitive MRL and maintaining A - honor roll level
academics and challenging my comfort zone to play against the #1 or #2 teams in each state as well as many academy teams and accomplishing my personal athletic goals.
While I have mainly been utilized as center back in recent years, I have also had extensive experience playing left and right defensive back earlier in my high school career (sophomore year) and on several of my earlier club teams. I have consistently worked on improving my skills and knowledge of the game and I have
benefited from outstanding instruction from coaches at school, club and participation in high level camps, including camps at Southern Illinois, University, Saint Louis University, Drury University, Westminster to name a few.
I am highly competitive and passionate about the game, and I am interested in playing at the highest level in college and helping my team succeed on the field while enriching a quality education. School size and location are not a great concern of mine. I believe that I would be able to thrive in most environments
and do not consider these things limiting factors. It, of course, would be most exciting and ideal for me to have an immediate impact on the field as it would be for most all incoming athletes; however, I would be willing to contribute by challenging myself and finding fulfillment within the team in a role that would
be most helpful for the betterment of the team as a whole.
