James Blackburn '23 Recruiting Profile

I have earned 18 varsity letters and 6 captaincies across 5 sports while earning outstanding grades. I have a proven track record of dedication, leadership, sacrifice, balance, and work ethic. This is what I bring to every team I commit to.

Of all my sports, soccer is my passion and I have always worked hard for my team. The only game I have ever missed was due to Covid exposure protocols. I love playing forward and attacking mid, but after our entire defense graduated last year, I had to work harder at holding mid to help our new and inexperienced defense and goalie. I was also able to set up plays and make scoring opportunities happen for our strong offense. I know that position move impacted my stats on paper, but it was the best thing for the team.

Also good for the team has been my off season play. Since 8th grade, I’ve made time, while playing in my other high school varsity sports, to play with many of my teammates on an indoor rec team. We play against athletes from larger schools, yet we have won our group more than once and I have consistently been on the leaderboard for points and assists. This experience has helped keep the team together.

The team is important to me because I almost didn’t have one. I actually play for Delton Kellogg High School because my school - Martin High School - did not have a soccer program. In middle school I began talking with my athletic director, who then reached out to the other athletic director to start the co-op program. Even with the co-op program, we have struggled to get enough players each year. I was able to play high school varsity soccer all four years, but I have never taken one game for granted.