Egor Ananev '17 Recruiting Profile

I have been in love with soccer since I was six years old, and have been playing on club and school teams since the second grade. I have a competitive spirit and fierceness that pushes me above and beyond when a challenge occurs on the field. I'm not afraid to go all in on a 50-50 ball and put my body on the line. I don't aim to get myself or the opponent injured, but at the same time I have no fear of putting everything I have into a play. I believe that this confidence extends to the rest of my team and allows us to play stronger as a unit. When teammates see each other give their full effort they become inspired to push themselves to the limit as well. 

As I entered high school I started wrestling as a sophomore to condition myself for soccer during the off season. Wrestling has had a huge impact on me both personally and athletically. It showed me to not be afraid of failure, and put into perspective the limits I can push my body to. Wrestling has made me mentally and physically tougher, and allows me to play with that much more confidence on the field. At 6'1 and 160 lbs. I strategically use my body to zone out smaller players and break their momentum when we contend for the ball. I have worked hard to develop my physical built, and I use it relentlessly on the field to leverage better plays. 

I am an extremely versatile player who has experience playing in all positions on the field.  Over the many years of my play on club teams I have been repeatedly mentioned as the best passer on my teams. I feel very comfortable playing AM because I possess a wide and sharp vision of the field. When I see a striker or wing getting ready for a breakaway, I can put the through ball where he would end up after finishing his sprint, right at the tip of his feet. I believe my highlight video showcases this talent very well. 

Ultimately my goal is to develop personally and professionally as much as I can in college. I will always remember how my perspective on life changed from taking on wrestling in high school. Soccer made me a great athlete, but wrestling was able to push me past my comfort zone and thats where the most personal growth occurred. My goal is to find a school that will push me this way on the field and in class. I am very committed to my college education and would be willing to play any position on the field in order to help finance my college tuition. The versatility to be able to perform in any role makes the game that much more fun for me by providing additional challenge. I am very excited to take my love of the game and be able to turn it into a building block that will help me obtain a college education.