Emerson Casares '25 Recruiting Profile

If you had told me two years ago that I would be pursuing the goal of playing collegiate soccer, I wouldn’t have believed you. The pandemic affected everyone, but it hit me particularly hard. In the thick of it, I believed that soccer was a thing of the past and I was ready to quit altogether. My club was so important to me and with no practices, no scrimmages, and no tournaments I was lost. Only after training resumed did I realize how much I truly love this sport, and what started as a trauma kickstarted my growth. Through perseverance, I quickly pulled myself out of the slump I was in and brought my fitness and skills to a new level. More importantly the last few years have strengthened my work ethic and mental toughness making me an even more devoted player. 

My goals for the next phase of sports and academics are simple; I want to play at the highest level and attend the most academically challenging college. I have demonstrated my commitment to academics by having a 4.0 GPA my freshman year and enrolling in several honors and advanced placement courses for my upcoming sophomore year. While my drive is focused on being the best player I can be and playing soccer in college, it is important that it doesn’t come at the expense of getting the best education I can. This is how I would like to define myself as a student athlete in college.  

My attributes on the soccer field are best summed up by leadership, speed, physicality, and utility. As the co-captain of my club team, I have demonstrated my abilities to help motivate and lead my team both on and off the field. Speed and physicality are the most important skills for a defensive player, and I use these skills for my high school team. While I play a similar role for my club team, I can also fill the role of a forward or attacking midfielder if needed. This opportunity has given me a good knowledge of all the positions on the field.   

My hard work and persistence both on the soccer field and in the classroom have paid off and demonstrate how hard I am willing to work for myself and my teammates to achieve success. I look forward to demonstrating my skills to you and appreciate the opportunity to be considered for your team.