Nicolás Nazario '24 Recruiting Profile

The past year has been one full of personal and physical growth. I have developed a new mentality and discipline that has helped me progress on and off the soccer field. I have realized that to achieve my dreams, coming from Puerto Rico, I must work harder than others. In Puerto Rico, a small island in the Caribbean, athletic opportunities for young athletes are limited due to a lack of funding, facilities, and exposure. Locally soccer has begun to gain traction in recent years. However, it is still not a sport that receives much attention or resources. These limitations have allowed me to make the most of the opportunities that I have.

To achieve my dream of playing soccer at the collegiate level, I realized I had to change my lifestyle and think outside the box to find ways to improve and stand out. For example, I started to read books such as “Relentless” by Tim Grover and “The Inner Game of Tennis” by W. Timothy Gallwey to strengthen my mentality and have a clear mindset.  Additionally, I researched ways to make my diet healthier and ways to be more focused and disciplined. All on my own, I established a plan that includes meditating, doing yoga, and eating 3,000+ calories every day. I became more conscientious about balancing my lifestyle between school work, soccer training, and community service. All of these actions have helped me build the disciplined routine I have today. 

I am very excited to bring my discipline, hard work, and leadership qualities to college teams, just as I have done in my school's varsity team and my club team in Puerto Rico. Ever since I was 13, I have been invited to train and play with teams of older age groups. When I was 15, I played the central defensive midfield position with three teams, the U15 first team and the U17 first and second teams, and trained with the 23+ age group team. My talent and hard work were later noticed by the Puerto Rican national team as I was invited to their tryouts, where I was unfortunately cut in the second round. This setback strengthened my resolve even more; I remained focused and worked even harder. 

Throughout my soccer career, I have demonstrated strong leadership skills. I was the captain of my childhood club, Fraigcomar FC, from when I was 13 until recently when I moved to the Mirabelli Soccer Academy to play with a more competitive team. I am also the captain of the Combine Sports America U20 soccer team, a local travel team. In the spring of 2022, during my sophomore year, the coaches named me captain of the traveling team; despite there being juniors and seniors on the team. In the summer of 2022, as captain, I led the team to 5th place in the Black Rock Invitational Tournament in Lake Placid, NY, and 2nd place in the local Bayamón Soccer Showcase in January 2023. I was also able to lead my school's Varsity team, as a starting sophomore and co-captain, to our division's finals, where we finished runner-up. 

I am as dedicated in the classroom as I am in the soccer field, as I have a 3.84 GPA as a full Diploma candidate in one of Puerto Rico's most demanding International Baccalaureate schools while also being president of the Fundación Coco community service club, and the Film and literature club. 

I am proud of my ability to balance my school work with my athletic performance. I have maintained my starting spot at the club and varsity levels while maintaining my GPA and growing as a person and athlete in the process. I know that my focus, desire to grow, and leadership qualities will be a great addition to any collegiate team.