Michael Stevens '15 Recruiting Profile

I've been playing soccer since I was five years old, and the experience I have earned over those years has shaped the way I act on and off the field. I've grown as a player and as a person from the players and coaches i have been exposed to over the years. I've been playing club soccer with Inter F.C. since I was eleven years old. I've been coached by Chris Koloffon every season of my club career except for two seasons in which I was coached by Nick Markulin. My freshman year I started on varsity as an outside midfielder. In that year we won our conference for the first time in about 20 years (maybe more). In my sophomore year my position moved from the wing to the center midfield, where I was more comfortable and confident. Being a part of the team that year was probably the greatest experience of my life. We won our conference for the second year in a row and we also won a regional final. I was made the captain of the team my junior year, and I led the team to the best of my ability and fought hard every game. I've been a starter on my club team since I was twelve years old, and in that time we've won multiple tournaments and have had great success.

Personally, I feel that my greatest attribute on the field is my work ethic. I work hard every training session and every day to be the very best. Greater than that, however, is the work I put in away from the practice field. If I feel that a certain part of my game is lacking and there is never enough time at practice to work on individual needs, I am usually outside after practice in my back yard working on the things I need. I cannot play video games for more than an hour without wanting to pull my hair out. Rather than that, I spend that video game time outside shooting on goal or passing the ball off the wall. I am very skilled on the ball and i use that skill wisely. I am a firm believer in two touch soccer, and work to find every pass before I receive the ball. Being in the center of the field i feel that this two touch mindset is an important trait to have as most of the play generates through the middle (i.e. me). On the field I am a positive influence to my teammates, because I have seen the harm a negative influence has on a team. Another positive attribute of mine is my desire to improve, which results in my ability to accept coaching. All too often, skilled players are too prideful to be coached which is a waste of talent. I have always been the kind of player to accept the coaching and improve because of it. I am also very flexible as a player. While I am most comfortable in the center midfield, I can play anywhere I am needed. I can play the wings, I could be a strong back line player, and I have even played striker in a pinch.