Lucas Nolder '15 Recruiting Profile

I have been playing soccer since the age of 4 (both indoor and outdoor). When I was 9 years old, I went and practiced with the Beadling Cup team. I had the opportunity to try out for the team, but the day of tryouts decided not to as I also had a strong desire to play baseball, fish on the weekends, wake board and snow ski. I knew that if I pursued joining the cup team, I would have to give up my other interests and focus on just one sport. I can't go back and change that decision, but am now sure that I want to continue playing soccer in college. 

When playing the game I give 100%+ (whether it be in practice or during regulation play). My teammates have looked to me as a leader as I have a level head & remain calm. I have played several different positions (if a coach needed me to) but now play primarily center mid.  I was named JV MVP my freshman year of high school and have played varsity since 10th grade. My strengths as a player are that I am very coachable, I always have my head in the game and am aware of where the ball is going next. Due to my height, I have been a strong presence in the box especially with corner kicks. A weakness that I have been working on is that while I am assertive, I am not as aggressive as perhaps I should be. Also, I am tall but have not yet filled out. In addition to soccer, I have also continued to play baseball since the age of 4 (All Star from age 6-14) & played 2 years of summer ball & 4 years on High School team. 

My Senior year of high school I will be pursuing dual enrollment: attending High School in the morning for core classes and then taking at least 2 classes per semester at the local community college. This decision was made after meeting with my counselor and realizing that I already had enough credits to graduate and didn't want to just take electives to fill the day. Due to sports schedules (Soccer in the fall and Baseball in the spring) I am only able to take 2 possibly 3 classes each semester. I plan to retake the SAT's again in September and possibly one additional time. I am hoping to improve my test scores (especially reading and writing) but recognize that these are not my strong suites. I am a solid B student who diligently does his homework and has to study for tests.

I am looking for a school that offers a major in business or perhaps Athletic Trainer and one that is within a 2-4 hour drive from home. I have realized that moving too far away from family will not be in my best interest at this time. I have been invited to several soccer showcases, but have not registered as the schools who would be attending were too far from home. My ultimate dream would be to play for Penn State as my Dad was a graduate and I fell in love with the fields when we first volunteered years ago for Special Olympic summer games. Realistically though, I would like an opportunity to play Division 2 or 3 and feel that I have the skill set needed to do so as a competitive level. My academic studies come first though when I attend college, as my goal is to graduate with a 4 year degree. I have been working hard my Junior year to make sure my GPA stays above a 3:0 in hopes of getting an academic scholarship, if not an athletic scholarship. To achieve both would be "icing on the cake" (as my Mom told the recruiter from NCSA).

Please contact me through the site or my email is [email protected] if you feel I would be an asset to your team.