NCSA caught up with soccer standout Zach Zenda about his high school career and the opportunity to compete at the college level.
NCSA: What motivates you before a big game? What's your pre-game ritual(s)?
Zenda: Listening to music, and just getting myself mentally prepared is how I prepare myself for games. I just focus on what I have to do so that the team can win.
NCSA: What are you looking forward to if and when you get the opportunity to play on a collegiate level?
Zenda: I am looking forward to playing with all new players. I've been with the same group of people for the last couple years of my soccer life and the chance to play with new people is always fun. Getting away from my hometown will be a great way to go out and meet new people. I'm looking forward to moving away and seeing a new city. Also, becoming a better player is always something that has been important to me.
NCSA: Why did you get involved in the sports you played in?
Zenda: I got involved in soccer just when I was a young kind around 5 or 6 years old, I was just in the recreation program and grew to love playing the game. It has gotten me where I am today.
NCSA: Tell us about your interactions with college coaches so far. Are you getting a lot of letters, surprised about where the colleges are from, who you are hearing from? Any funny or interesting anecdotes?
Zenda: I have been getting a good amount of letters…I like being in contact with the coaches, it just gets me thinking that I will be playing for one of them in the near future.
NCSA: How are your team(s) doing so far? (Club teams, high school teams)? Any challenges this season? How are you excelling personally and how does that compare to previous years?
Zenda: Well my high school team was doing very well, until the last game of the season when I broke my leg, which was back in October. My leg was just a bump in the road that I had to get through; I have worked harder then ever to get back into shape and be physically stronger. My club team starts up very soon and I look forward to the state cup.
NCSA: What are your goals - athletically, academically and in your community - for the rest of the school year? What are also your goals for the summer? Are you looking to improve your speed, skills, acing a course?
Zenda: Athletically I would like to win a NJ state cup with my club team. Academically I would like to get my SAT scores up and get my GPA higher at the end of the year. For the summer I am hoping to put on a good showing for all college coaches coming to see me play. Over the summer I will be preparing for my last high school soccer season and hope to win a county and state championship.
NCSA: Tell us about what you've learned since being with NCSA. Have you learned about how to talk with coaches? Have you learned some rules on playing at the next level? What's the biggest take-away you have
Zenda: I think the biggest thing that I have gotten to take away is that you need to do just as much work as the coaches do when it comes to being recruited.
