Matthew Sandoval '17 Recruiting Profile

Personal Statement

            I always knew that soccer was the right sport for me to play, ever since I first stepped on the field at five. Since I can remember, I pushed myself to play at the best of my abilities. I still hold this mentality and will bring this focus and drive to my college athletics. This attitude has helped me build strong and lasting relationships with teammates and coaches. 

            As a goalkeeper, I have the added pressure of being the last line of defense and being ready at all times. I also know that as a goalie, I have to put my body on the line on every play and be the seeing eye of the field and command my team accordingly. When I play, I am very vocal with my teammates to encourage them to fight for every ball, play hard, and ensure their positioning on the field is correct.  Also, I hurl my body at the ball, as needed, and don’t care who I have to take out to prevent the goal. I have very strong hands to grab onto the ball and I am very fast at sprints, which is another advantage, allowing me to get to the ball before the attacking player. In this aspect, I am very good at one-on-ones, with oncoming players and throw myself at the ball and I don’t care where it hits me, so long as it does not hit the back of the net.

            Off the field, I carry the same hardworking mentality to maintain my GPA and my grades in a challenging program International Baccalaureate Program.  The experience and time management skills that I have learned from being in the IB Program will allow me to easily transition into the college academic system and will allow me to balance between my soccer and my academic life. In college, I would like to pursue the field of neurobiology because I have always been interested in the way the human mind works: why makes us think and act the way we do. I want to learn the science behind the human brain, and I hope to use this knowledge to help others in the future with disabilities or other diseases of the brain.

    Outside of school,  I am Vice President of the TOP Soccer Club.  In the club we work and play soccer with kids and adults with disabilities. Through the club I learned key life lessons. Working with the kids showed me that, if they could be happy and achieve so much while having such disabilities, then I can overcome anything. There wasn’t one game or practice that I, nor the players, weren’t smiling, and there wasn’t one game that I did not take home some important lesson. The club has allowed me to share the sport I love with others, and has made me a better person in the process.

            Overall, I wish to have the opportunity to play in college to continue to make myself a better person both on and off the field. I hope to be a well-rounded student athlete, and lay the foundation for me to be successful later in life, and to provide me with the skills to be a better citizen and strong advocate for positive change in my community.