Personal Statement
My name is Praharsh Upadhyaya and I am a 6'0" 165lb aggressive-style sweeper goalkeeper. Going into freshmen year, I was the starting goalkeeper for the freshmen squad and led the team to an undefeated season with only two goals allowed. Along with that, I played for a local club in Lancaster, Pennsylvania called Manheim Township Elite Blue Strikers. I have played with this team ever since the beginning of my travel career as they have provided me with the skills needed to succeed. Through local tournaments and games, I was recruited by the PA Classics Developmental Academy to play as a starting goalkeeper for them in the 2019-2020 season. Throughout my first season with the DA team (fall 2019), I recorded a total of 3 shutouts in the span of 7 games/starts. I pride myself being a star and a hard-worker on and off the field. Alongside mandatory team practices, I train in extra 1 on 1 goalkeeper trainings on Fridays, as it is the only weekday without DA soccer. Through crucial performances with my Academy team, I have also earned a spot with the organization, Youth Professional Training (YPT), to go play in a tournament in June 2021 in Spain at the Costa Daurada Cup. I also play for the Varsity team of Manheim Township High. The commitment to the sport and training to become better everyday not only consists in my play on the field, but in academics as well. In my freshmen year, I was able to maintain an average of a 3.7 GPA while taking all Honors classes with one year ahead in Science (Honors Biology). Along with that, in my first semester of my sophomore year, I recorded a 3.7 GPA while handling soccer 5-7 days a week and taking all Advanced Placement (AP) or Honors classes.
