Derek Garibay '23 Recruiting Profile

Being passionate about your skills is one thing I learned growing up in a Hispanic household. This gives me something to strive for every morning I wake up. I was taught to always take what is given to me. With that being said I love applying what I learn from coaches and trainers to my overall game to make myself and others around me better players. 

Some of my collegiate goals include performing exceptionally well academically as I have been for so many years on end and winning silverware for the school I represent. My aspirations are to leave my name in my school’s history by being recognized for individual achievements as a student-athlete. 

As a goalkeeper, I am an essential asset to my team's success as the last line of defense. Any coach that has ever had the opportunity to make me a better player can tell you that I have respect for the game of soccer and my opposition. Boosting the confidence and the skills of others are my goals for being a motivating team leader. It is easy for me to learn from my mistakes and am able to get past them in order to focus on the success of my team. Analyzing training/ game film with coaches is one of the many ways I get past my mistakes. With every team I have trained and played with, I found it easy to bring a healthy balance of seriousness and humor to the team where it is needed.

I find ways to use my free time effectively and do not take it for granted. Using this skill, I won’t stop working towards a fundamental until I get it down. My mindset is to work until I am able to perform that fundamental without fail. Give me the slightest chance to prove what I can accomplish on and off the pitch and see how far I go.