Andrew Palakonda '24 Recruiting Profile

My name is Andrew Palakonda and I am a player who loves the free flow of the game which differentiates it from other sports. I've been playing soccer since the age of 6 and had only gone forward with the game. I've worked on the fundamentals of the game so relentlessly to make sure I have surpassed my peers in the technical aspect of the game; and I work on this through dedication, hard work, and persistence in the training that I do such as wall training and close control and mastery training. I understand that your mindset is key in sports and can determine how you perform which is why I make it known to myself that there is always room for improvement, so I make sure I am always learning every individual training, team training session, and match.  Also, I realized that when I am happy and play confidently, I am at my absolute best and I make sure that is a priority whenever I step on the pitch. Along with that, coaches of mine have named me as a hard worker, versatile player, and technical player.  The teams that I’ve played for are Irvine Slammers, Irvine Pateadores, OC Surf, and West Coast FC. Additionally, I also try to spark change in my community by utilizing the education that we have which strengthens my leadership skills through my passion to change soccer in this country. I created the club Portola Futsal Academy to encourage the play of futsal to create a great soccer culture, improve the game in our country, and hone my leadership skills academically.