Benjamin Ellner '26 Recruiting Profile

I started playing soccer with the Charlotte County Soccer Federation at the age of six. When I was eight, the coach told me to sub in for the goalkeeper (GK) who was injured, and there was a free kick. This made me anxious because I had no prior experience as a GK. I had seen how goalkeepers dive for the ball, so it gave me a possible strategy to save the shot. That relieved my anxiety a little bit, but I could feel my heart pounding at the same time. Throwing myself at the ball and saving that free kick was exhilarating and I've been in the GK position since then, working with a private goalkeeper coach who has greatly improved my skills. I have been a dedicated GK ever since I saved that free kick.

I was first chair in my band class at Port Charlotte Middle School, playing my alto saxophone, and, with a GPA of 3.7, was recently inducted into the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS). My fellow students regularly ask for my help with their work in class and I'm always happy to help a fellow student in need, this is what teamwork is all about. I would describe myself as tenacious when it comes to playing soccer. Blessed with outstanding coaches, they have all stressed the importance of respect, teamwork, communication, and fair play. While these are all important, I have found that communication is crucial for a team to function effectively. Like many skills, communication among players improves with practice, building confidence that they will help each other be aware of their surroundings and function better as a team. As GK, I participate in this actively, shouting out warnings and directions. When we are “on our game,” shouting out to one another, we are highly motivated.

With my natural aptitude for technology, I will likely pursue that field in college. With college just around the corner, I have gravitated toward computer software design and I'm eager to see where it takes me. There seems to be no end to the possibilities of technological advances; robotic arms have been designed to do brain surgery because, in intricate brain surgery, the human hand may not be steady enough. When it comes to climate change, I'm intrigued by the software that has been designed to allow scientists to map out the effects of climate change over time and alter the variables to see different results. There is no telling what technology will have been developed by the time I finish high school. At present, I am a student at Hamden High School (Hamden, CT) playing GK for both the varsity and junior varsity teams as well as being the primary GK for Hamden United.