Personal Statement
I have played soccer since age 3, I tried several sports and enjoyed them all but none as much as soccer. Early on, one of my coaches gave me an ultimatum. Play keeper, and be on the top team with all my friends or not, even though I was better than probably half the kids on his team. Not at the time, but now I know that what disappointed me was the best opportunity he could have given me. I met the best coach I've ever had, a man from Trinidad and Tobago named Kester Medford. I played up one year but played select, which was the fourth team. Coach Kester took me under his wing. He helped me redevelop my passion, and love for the game. Early in the season he made me captain of the team even though I was the youngest. The whole season, we only had 2 practices on grass, the rest were on a concrete basketball court where he taught us tikitaka. I found myself going home watching how to play in a triangle like Busquets, Xavi and Iniesta during pep Guardiolas Barcelona. I watched videos on how to find little pockets of space in between defenders. I didn't grow up watching Messi and Ronaldo highlights like most kids I watched players like Ronaldinho, Pirlo, Xavi and other creative midfielders. During this experience I learned a lot about discipline, how to learn and even to be more humble. Coach Kester was not only my coach on the field but off, and a lot of the attributes and characteristics I love about myself today, I owe to him. Off the field he taught me discipline, not to react but to listen and understand. To understand my situation and to be thankful for everything I have as well as many more life lessons. On the field he taught me how to play with passion, and to acknowledge my emotions but play with my head. I was very small at the time but he taught me how to play bigger than I am. I learned that soccer wasn't just pass, pass, dribble, dribble and shoot, shoot. I learned it was played more with your mind than anything else.
After this year with coach Kester I played one more year and then I moved from my club to another club. I wanted to stay originally, but my whole team was leaving and I would have been left without a team had I not gone with them, and it worked out well. We moved because everyone was tired of the politics and we wanted to play under a coach named Carlos Castaneda. He coached many kids on my team previously when they were ranked third in the country. I played on this team for two years, and we won tournaments to send us to Spain and England and the team did very well. Myself along with another kid from my team guest played and practiced with his 04 team. It was the same club but a different location about an hour away. It was a commitment but well worth it. Playing up with better players challenged and bettered me on the field. The following year I was presented an opportunity to play ECNL at Florida Premier. Coach Carlos was supposed to be my coach, but he ended up coaching the 04 ECNL team, Martin Gramatica who originally was coaching the 04 ECNL team ended up coaching my team.
Apart from club, I am on a amazing high school soccer team. I am going into my junior year now and I have been a starter majority of both my years at Tampa Prep. We have an amazing coaching staff of head coach Doug Smith and 3 other co-coaches. We performed really well all year until playoff time when we were a very injured incomplete team, however this year we will be making a run for the 3A state title.
I learned a lot about myself. Naturally I am a leader, and I enjoy the challenge and pressure that comes with that, and I thrive under it. I am a quick learner, and can adapt to different situations quickly. This year I have found myself playing defensive mid, striker, right mid and right back depending on the situation, sometimes in the same game. I play with lots of passion and energy, and I will outwork anybody on the field. I have a strong desire to play at the highest level possible and I will do everything possible to make that happen for myself.