Riyad Zecic '25 Recruiting Profile

Ever since I can remember, I have been driven by things that challenge me. Whatever challenge I could overcome gave me something to look forward to. I always enjoyed using critical thinking. Remembering things I’ve read or listened to has always come easy to me, which in turn helped me succeed in my education. However, when I started playing soccer at age 10, I realized I had finally found something that would challenge me. It would require me to adopt a more outgoing personality. It allowed me to look forward to something, challenge myself to improve, work with a team, and constantly analyze my performance and see where I can improve. It is a challenge I look forward to.

My parents are immigrants, and ever since I could understand their sacrifice and reason for coming to the United States, it has been my personal goal to succeed and make them proud. I recognized how fulfilling it feels to succeed. And I have done everything I can to find and earn that success in whatever I set my mind to. I currently play at the ECNL level at Gwinnett Soccer Academy and I believe my spot at that level is earned by my hard work and discipline.

In my career as a student so far, that success has been mostly related to my schoolwork and my sports experience. However, I try to apply these principles to my life as well. I am currently a proud member of the National Society of High School Scholars. In 2021, my freshman year of high school, I was immensely proud of myself to be one of two freshmen on the varsity soccer team. I was also the starting player. While I was intimidated to be the new and youngest player on the team, my love for the game encouraged me to use my leadership skills from the goal line. I communicated, encouraged, and guided my team game after game. Mid-season, I was honored that the coaching staff put me on the Student-Athlete Coordination Committee. That only encouraged me to continue my leadership in sports and the classroom.

 However, I do not limit my activities just to playing soccer and school. I have been a licensed soccer referee since age 13 and ever since then have genuinely had fun giving back to my club and helping them with refereeing. I have a younger brother who I know looks up to me. He is a goalkeeper himself and has been to most of my games. I know he watches me closely on and off the field, and my goal is to be an excellent example for him. This desire to be a better person extends to my schoolwork; I attempt to maintain a GPA as close to 4.0 as possible. I never allow my sports work to get in the way of my academics. However, that just means I work just as hard to catch up on my schoolwork to allow myself to enjoy my time on the field. I am confident in my ability to maintain discipline in both of these pursuits. 

Apart from all of these accomplishments, I also try to relax and have fun. I believe myself to be easygoing and friendly. I always do my best to reach out to new friends, make everyone feel involved in a group setting, and reach out to old friends. I enjoy listening to music of all genres. I like to listen to Bosnian music which helps me perfect my bi-lingual skills, as well as Spanish music since it is currently a language I am learning. My relationships with my teammates, my family, and my friends mean more to me than anything, and I do everything I can to make them and myself proud.