Jacob Cunningham '14 Recruiting Profile

Like most teenagers, I am not sure what I would like to do with the rest of my life, but I do know that playing soccer and wrestling have helped me to develop a strong work ethic and a commitment to personal growth as a player and a team leader. My parents have always stressed that being part of a team requires more than just athletic ability. As a result, I have focused on being a strong team leader and role model for younger players. I understand the sacrifices required to commit to a team and to a sport. During my wrestling season, I made the decision to stay at a lower weight to fill a need for the team, despite the fact that maintaining this weight was a daily struggle. Looking back, it may not have been the right decision for me personally, but I knew that the team was more important. I have played soccer since I was 5 years old.  I started on rec teams and found myself counting the days until summer break and soccer camps.  By the time I was in 4th grade, I was playing both rec league soccer and travel team soccer with Roanoke Star.  I continued to play for Roanoke Star until the end of my 8th grade year.  At the time, I had lost some of my confidence and was starting to experience great success as a wrestler.  To this day, I am not sure that it was the right decision, but I know that wrestling has helped me to develop a greater sense of self-motivation and has also considerably built my strength, speed, and agility as a soccer player.  Throughout high school, I have participated in 3 Varsity sports (soccer, wrestling, and cross country), maintained a high GPA in difficult classes, and maintained a part-time job.  Because of these responsibilities, I have been unable to return to travel soccer, although I miss it!  I realize that this may be an obstacle in my goal to play college soccer, but I do not want to fail to try just because I am concerned about the final outcome.  I know that nothing worth having comes without great effort, so I am making the effort.

  I value the lessons that I have learned about myself and about pushing my limits to be a better player and a better competitor. I think that much of this internal motivation comes from the examples set by my parents. My father is a federal agent and my mother is a teacher. Although neither works in a "glamorous" field, they both love their jobs and have taught me that finding the things that make you happy will help to make you commit and succeed in those areas. I have always dreamed of competing on the college level in both wrestling and soccer. I also am aware that my future holds more than athletics. I have seriously considered following in my father's footsteps and seeking a career in law enforcement. Recently though, I am drawn to a career in the area of physical therapy. I have found that there is nothing I cannot achieve if I set my mind to a goal. Whatever the future holds, I know that I want to make a difference by being a positive role model, a dedicated athlete, and an academic success.