Personal Statement
Soccer for me isn’t just another activity. It isn’t a time filler. It's not just something I use to check the “activities box”. It truly is a passion for me. Ever since my first touch on the ball at age 5, it has been a major part of my life. I started out in a little recreation league and quickly identified that soccer was the sport for me, although I have tried many. After coming to this realization, I took the first opportunity that came up to advance myself. In second grade, I joined my first travel team (Southwestern Michigan Kickers). On this team, I played left defender. However, as the year went on, I took a special interest in goalkeeping and became the backup keeper for my team. Backup wasn’t enough for me though, over the next few months I went to several camps and trained on my own as well. From that season forward I’ve been a goalkeeper. I train hard to be the best keeper I can be and, more than that, the best all-around player I can be. Anyone who’s been a keeper knows the friendly heat teammates will give you about how “keepers don’t run” or “keepers don’t have foot skills, “ which is a mold I try to break. It is a goal of mine to be one of the top players on my team no matter my position. I refuse to be the goalkeeper who brings up the rear in warm-ups. I try to understand and know every position and its role. This also benefits my goalkeeping in that I have a more complete knowledge of the game. This helps me to see and understand what is going to happen and to direct my teammates on how to best handle the situation. One of my strengths is my communication on the field. I try to lead by example in keeping communication open and flowing. I work hard at soccer and, because of this, soccer rewards me. My teammates have become my brothers on every team I’ve been on. Training and competing with my team brings us close. My soccer brothers are true friends who stick by each other, both on and off the field. Pele once referred to soccer as “the beautiful game”, and I completely agree. It is a beautiful sport in every way. From the intricacies of playing the game, to the people I have met along the way, and the interdependency on each other to achieve success, soccer mimics life and has left a transformative mark on my life that I will carry into whatever life has in store for me.
