Nicholas Mannarino '24 Recruiting Profile

Hello!  My name is Nicholas Mannarino.  I am a person who loves learning from my teachers, parents, grandparents, and coaches. Experience is the best key to success, and I feel that listening to those people in my life will help me the most. 

I have been playing soccer since I was 4 years old and joined travel soccer at 9 years old. From ages 9-13 I played for my town team in New Jersey as the full-time goalkeeper. Then in 6th grade, I switched club teams to Holmdel Matchfit NJX with coach Matt Woolson. Later, I played for Marlboro Mustangs blue at the ‘05 age group. Playing a grade-up in my age group was one of the best decisions I made. Learning, watching, and taking shots from older players improved my speed and gameplay by showing me what to work on. Coach Frank Rizzi is one of the most dedicated coaches I have ever had and is always pushing me to better develop my talent on the field. He has helped multiple players reach college-level soccer and even the Professional men's soccer league. I currently play for Cedar Stars Academy Monmouth on their 2006 MLS NEXT Team. I feel that making this change to play at a higher level will aid my athletic career and push me to be my best every day at the highest level of soccer. 

As a freshman at Christian Brothers Academy (CBA) in Lincroft, NJ, I played for the Junior Varsity team with sophomores and juniors. That experience helped improve my skills since I was getting shot on by players who were 1-2 years older than me. I loved playing for my school and I would not give it up for anything. I played travel and AAU basketball for my town for the past 2 years but recently stopped due to my dedication to soccer. I’m also active in weight training. I lift in the school weight room 3-5 days a week and focus a lot on developing my strength, skill, and mindset. I also lift 4-5 days a week on my own. Lifting has been a very important part of my life and inspires me to be better overall in everything I do. 

During the spring season, I train and play soccer 5 days a week with my club. I attend additional goalkeeper training 1-2 times a week with Modern Goalkeeper Training Systems and GK stars academy. During the high school fall season, I train every weekday with my team and go to goalkeeper training as well 1-2 times a week. Being organized and keeping to my schedule which includes club and high school soccer, lifting, friends, and family is very important to me. 

I am currently in honors and AP classes as a Sophomore and maintain a high honor roll. While the workload is challenging, I work at it by staying organized and focused. 

I am also involved as a volunteer with two organizations that provide autistic children with some fun outside playtime. In the fall and spring, I am a soccer coach and work on simple soccer skills with autistic children as part of the Just4Kixs Soccer program in my hometown. During the summer I swim and play with an autistic child as part of the My Swim Friends program at a local day camp.  I also volunteer as a swim coach with the Special Olympics Of New Jersey in the spring helping prepare a team of young adults to compete in the summer games.  In the summer of 2021, I had my first real job as the youngest member of the camp’s maintenance crew responsible for keeping the campgrounds clean.

My long-term goal is to go to law school. Ever since I was young, people often tell me I would make a great lawyer. I think that's because I am comfortable being a leader and with public speaking. While I am enjoying my high school life now, I am excited to go to play college soccer and see what the future holds.