Talon Basiewicz '20 Recruiting Profile

    I have played soccer for 13 years now, started every game in the four years I've played in high school. My freshman year of high school I was a decent player on the field but not much more. I tried in practice, maybe not as much as I could have, I nagged the coaches for this and that constantly, and I couldn't take responsibility for my mistakes. Now, starting my fourth year playing in high school, I've changed. I've gotten much better at actually playing soccer, but I've gotten better as a player off the field. Now my favorite part about playing soccer isn't making a great save, it's helping the freshmen grow and teaching them what I can. When one of them came up to me after a game I played pretty well in and said; "That was amazing, you've gotta teach me that sometime!" I realized how far I've come. That freshman looked up to me and trusted me to teach him. I have never been prouder of the image I created for myself than I was then.  My relationship with my coaches has changed too. They have seen my growth and in turn have started trusting me to make sure the field is cleaned up after practice or that everyone is ready before a game. 

    Soccer isn't just about being the best player on the field. It's about who you are off the field and the image you can create for not only yourself but also your team. I look forward to initially being brought into that culture of a college soccer team, but when I'm older, helping create that culture myself.