Aaron Clark '18 Recruiting Profile

“I wanna play soccer ball!” Four-year-old me would shout this running around the house chasing my two older sisters. They played basketball, but even at four, my only passion was soccer. My parents signed me up for the local soccer league at the age of five, and before I knew it I was living the dream. Every year I couldn’t wait for the season to start. As I grew older, I tried out for the Sandhills travel team and began playing year round. At fifteen years old, I have already played soccer for at least a decade. Through this time, I have experienced a variety of coaches, teammates and challenges, all of which have encouraged me to become a better student of the game.

Whether it’s at practice or during stoppage time, a part of being a great player is being able to listen and apply what a coach has taught. Training with different coaches and learning different styles of play, I have been able to learn so many aspects of the game. Some of my coaches have placed more emphasis on tactical skill training, whereas others were more physical. Sometimes it is hard to understand why a coach is telling me to do something specifically, but I know that I am one of eleven players on the field. We win as a team and lose as a team. Throughout my time as a player, I have also been able to attend many development camps. During these, I have learned to take criticism well. This has helped me to reach my goals of becoming a better player and a better teammate. 

My hope in attending college is to improve as a player on the field and as a student in the classroom. My ultimate goal, the dream, is to play soccer professionally. I want to use the next four years after high school to train and elevate my game. I also want to learn more about the physical and health aspects of being a professional athlete. My hope is to major in biology or sports medicine with the purpose of helping athletes train and recover from injury. If I cannot play soccer, I want to help others.

I am thankful for the help of my family and previous coaches, because without them I would not have the opportunities that I have today. I appreciate and thank you too, for reviewing my profile and taking the time to look through my skills and qualifications.