Kai Peris '22 Recruiting Profile

My love for the game started overseas. Being a military child, I was born in Japan and lived in both Europe and Asia until I moved to California just before my 10th birthday. Before that, I started playing at 3 and played a ton of rec and coed soccer. My passion really grew when I played under a Brazilian coach in Okinawa, with our team being made up of mostly Japanese kids. When I joined his team I was 7, playing with 9-year-olds who barely spoke English. He motivated me to work harder and avoid obstacles, like age and language barriers, to catch up with everyone else. I’ve been catching up all my life. Moving and restarting my life in 4 countries, 9 houses and 9 schools has typically put me at a disadvantage in many aspects. I’ve had to adapt and evolve from new curriculums, new environments and starting a step behind everyone else. Being the new kid on every team has meant that I've always been the wildcard, playing any position; it was only until I came to the states that defending became my primary contribution. I’m resilient, versatile and adaptable and excited to face any challenges at the collegiate level, both academically and athletically.