Ryan Nagel '23 Recruiting Profile

I have been kicking the ball since I could walk as a toddler and my dexterity to throw and catch the ball at such a young age was very pronounced along with my continued overall physical strength generally speaking.  I have been blessed as a natural athlete in any sport I have touched and at a young age, coaches and pros would come to my parents asking if they could work with me.  I started competitive gymnastics at 4 years of age (I could carry my body weight across the parallel bars without effort and unassisted), at 5 years old I could hit the golf ball 150 yards on my first try at the driving range which caught the eye of the pro golfer, I played some baseball and football recreationally as I have a great throwing arm, and eventually, I chose to try soccer at 9 years of age with SWU.  I started off as a defender, and  I also played as a striker and midfielder, and at the end of my second season during a tournament when our goal keeper was struggling, I asked to be put in net and that was the one game our team won.  I gravitated to defender continuing to play on the field  as my team already had a keeper, but I would insist with the coach to put me in net during critical games to seal the wins.  It wasn't until my fifth season of soccer (2 yrs later )that I dug in my heels and put my position as Goal keeper.  I am in Division 1 and believe that everyone you speak with will attest that I am the strongest goal keeper in my division, as well as a strong competitor alongside other keepers I train with who are 2 and 3 years older than I am.

I play volleyball, badminton, and flag football on the school teams and continue to be a great leader on each team and have helped secure the City finals banner in each sport continually.  In soccer when I moved to Foothills  FC in 2019 for outdoor, I gamed and trained in England that August of 2019 with my Foothills teammates.  We gamed against select academy teams including  Arsenal (2 goals against me), Brighton (clean sheet) and South Hampton (clean sheet).  In this  past indoor season I have helped my Foothills team secure our spot at the Alberta provincials and have the best goal keeper stats in our division/league.  I  believe I am a very strong player and contributor to the success of our team, and look forward to our national year after this upcoming outdoor season. 

I work hard in school to maintain  good marks as best I can (I strive for 80's), and with my busy schedule with soccer 6 days a week, I don't have much time for anything else.  I have great aspirations in securing a future with soccer and feel the right balance is in getting my education in Sports Science while continuing my training and development, doing what I love.  I hope to find the right college or university fit that will provide the highest level of competition in Division 1, and one that has a good group of faculty members to guide the students.  

I look forward to hearing from you and continuing my educational and athletic journey while proudly representing the team and University.

Sincerely,

Ryan Nagel