Declan Chmielewski '22 Recruiting Profile

In all aspects it is a sanctuary. Its demands supplementing preexisting academic demands are necessary for a healthy, rigorous academic life. It takes someone who’s been playing for a long time to understand that. Soccer has been a lifelong commitment for me; from my first steps (my first steps were to kick a soccer ball) to now it has been my friend and teacher. I have been involved in much more than many other players have. My experience on the field extends beyond the United States and my ability to communicate on a team is not limited to the English language; I am a military child and lived in Germany from 2007-2010 and from 2014-2018. In Germany I played year-round soccer on a german soccer team; for four years I played a starting position on the team, playing on grass fields in the spring and summer, dirt fields in the fall and early winter, and in futsal halls during the winter. I know how to understand instructions, communicate during games, and form relationships off the pitch all in a foreign language. I have had to play through all types of games, from quelling fights to talking to the ref to earning a card or two and to even getting thrown out of game, when my team needed me most. I will not only bring success on the pitch in growing a team but also in the classroom. From middle school through highschool I have been the kid who everyone goes to for homework help, who wins the majority of awards, who gets asked by teachers to participate in selective programs, and who takes extracurriculars very seriously (see resume). I am respectable and not uptight (though I understand me bragging about myself like this could suggest otherwise), and friends and peers keep coming to me for help. Being both driven and attentive on the pitch and in the classroom, I will make a model student-athlete for any college or university.