Liam Badger '21 Recruiting Profile

My number one goal is to play soccer at college and pursue a career in sports management or analytics and BI (business intelligence) related to sports statistics. While I "play" soccer, I am a passionate spectator of many sports including football, hockey, basketball, and of course soccer, both the MLS and international clubs. 

I have played recreational soccer since 5 years old and competitive (academy and club) soccer since 8 years old. At that age I played soccer because my parents wanted me to. When I was younger I really wanted to be a football player but my parents didn't want me to so I played flag football instead. In 6th grade they finally relented and let me play football with the park and rec team. While I loved it, I only received the minimum number of plays. When I tried out for middle school football in 7th grade, I was so excited to make the team. But that was followed by a lot of disappointment as the coaches only played the 8th graders. You put in all the work and then you were never given a chance.

That experience really made me realize how much I enjoyed playing soccer all those years, and I was glad that I never quit soccer. It's also what inspired me to become a full-time goalkeeper. To me, it was the chance to be the "quarterback" for the team. In my experience with soccer, better players may play more minutes, but every player that worked hard got the opportunity to play. I have been lucky to have so many great coaches and teammates over the years. We haven't always won a lot of games, but I have always had a lot of fun over the years playing soccer, meeting new players and coaches, and being able to travel to regional and national tournaments.

I think what makes me unique in terms of my soccer playing is that I haven't just played club and high school soccer. I have also played indoor soccer and futsal. While they are variations of outdoor soccer, they really are like different sports with unique strategies and play formations. I also play in a Hispanic pick-up league in the north Atlanta area. I am one of the only non-Spanish speaking players on the team. Each player pays $5 each game to cover the cost of the referees. There are no other fees for coaches, fields, uniforms, etc. While some of the boys play with various club teams, they are there for the pure love of playing the game. One of the player's older brother is the coach who gives of his time because he knows how much we love to play. While this is not my situation, many of the players on this team can no longer afford the fees and related travel costs to be on the club teams. Or they can't be on the high school team because they need to look after their younger siblings or work a part-time job to contribute to the family's finances. But honestly, while there is no rating like SCCL or Classic I for this league, it's by far the highest caliber team I have ever played on. I am so glad I got to know some of those guys a few years ago when I was asked to be a guest keeper for one of their tournaments. Playing with these teammates has really opened my eyes to what a team sport is all about - to go out, play hard, make friends, and have fun doing what you love to do.