Diego Graves '24 Recruiting Profile

Hello I'm Diego Graves Nationality Spanish American International player playing in both Spain and the US started at 4 years old playing for a Local Club Real colorado which I stayed with Untill reaching the age of 11 where I took a turn on footbol and gained more interest and wanting to continue playing longtterm reaching everygoal possible with playing the game switching to a club based in barcelona that started in denver where I was playing with them at the level below Development Academy at the time known as DA where I continued with them until I reached the age of 14-15 Where when Covid was coming to an end I got the oppertunity to go off to madrid to continue my goal and dream of playing and improving at the european level so preparing to go off I spent weeks training with the U15 aside MLS Next rapids academy to prepare me for preseason with the academy I was about to join in europe while still getting a top education with the program I was invited to when Joining this program know as Getafe international federated withe the LALIGA side team Getafe I was introduced in a team with several international players including americans as myself where everyplayer from the US that was at the same program as myself came from MLS academies and knowing that I come from the same place as them I would have to step my game up while playing alongside worldclass players coming from academies at the top three divisions of our age in europe I was fortunate enough to secure a starting midfieled position with my U16 team at the time training daily before and after school with the youth coaches of the laliga aside getafe academy and scrimaging teams around spain at the top 2 divisions of our age at the time including other laliga teams based in madrid and playing in international tournaments including top clubs from around the world including Sporting lisbon, Barcelona, valencia, frankfurt and varicose pro youth teams we as a team and individgule players transformed our game to levels beyond we imagined. Although we were an international academy at the time Scrimiging and playing against top teams in europe we were not aloud to join a spanish federated division for our age due to More than half the boys on my team having a different nationality and no spanish Identefication luckily I was born with family in spain giving me the opportunity to join teams from spain and non international academies which aloud me to play in any club I was accepted in in spain Luckily I had contacts with local clubs near me at high divisions for my age in europe and was given the opportunity to go trial with a club called Aravaca in madrid playing in Dvision de Honor at the time which is second division for our age competing against the 2 squad of varicose top laliga teams including real madrid, Leganes, Atletico Madrid, Getafe and varicose other clubs luckily I made the team and started training with them competing at one of the top levels in spain at the time unfortunately they couldnt federate me on the roster in time before the season finished but was invited back the following year 22-23 season which meant I would have to leave the program I was currently in and go full time in Aravaca so after a full length summer of training to prepare for preseason in madrid I got new of the technical director of the club Aravaca Was leaving after being appointed head coach of the youth womens real madrid team and after hearing this Iwas in touch with multiple teammates and were all saying how they were also planning on leaving do to this to a club called colmenar viejo which is 4th division for U19 and 2nd division for U17 which was my current age as preseason started with them the level was far higher than the past two seasons due to me being the youngest on my team and as the season and trainings went on although I was improving tremendously I my transcript of DNI-Identification of spain was not going through and due to this they could not register me and due to this I had enough and decided to head back to the US to finish the 22-23 season with several contacts of MLS coaches I was advised to play highschool due to the following year being my last year of highschool and was told to try the league ECNL while playing highschool so I trialed with my local club Real Colorado and with Just one training with them they wanted me on there team so I finished a succesfull season with them finishing top 2 in our league and making ECNL playoffs I was in talks with several colleges all telling me that although I had the level and skill to play on in the top college division level I was only starting one of every 3 games and due to this I was told to secure a staring spot on a team in the same division so I will be planning on finishing my last season of highschool ball with my boy hood club BELITE where I could secure that position finish my highschool season while at the same level in ECNL and prepare everyday from highschool ball to club ball to prepare for the highest level possible for college.