Nevaeh Lacy '24 Recruiting Profile

      My name is Nevaeh Lacy, I am 16 years old, and soccer has always been the love of my life. I’ve played many sports in my lifetime (softball, basketball, gymnastics, competitive dance, etc.) but none of them were like soccer. When I look back on my childhood, I can remember the smell of grass, the sounds of my family cheering me on the sidelines, and the race of adrenaline through my veins.. That memory is what makes me love soccer so much. It never gets old. I started playing soccer at the age of 5 as a fun activity. My parents noticed that I was really good at it. I scored 6-10 goals per game and was faster and stronger than my peers. At the age of 8, my parents then had me try out for the Boys & Girls Club competitive league. At the age of 10, club coaches approached me to ask me to try out for their teams where I competed on premiere club soccer teams, competitive traveling teams in Idaho and Washington State and attended college soccer camps. There were college coaches who asked about me after some of my tournament games. It was at the age of 13 when I realized that I really have a shot at playing at the college level. So I decided that soccer would be the only sport I would dedicate myself to. 

    My family and I moved from the Pacific Northwest to San Jose, CA in the middle of the pandemic. I tried out and made the Premiere Surf 05 team for 2 seasons in 2020, and then I made the 03-04 MVLA traveling Soccer club team of San Jose 2021-2022. We didn’t have many games because of the pandemic, but I continued to work on my technical skills, practice and train during the entire pandemic. As a 9th grader, I earned the starting position as a forward on my high school varsity soccer team at Santa Teresa HS. Now as a Sophomore, the season is just now getting started and I’m ready for another competitive and successful year.

        I was born into a family of student-athletes. My mom played D-1 college basketball, my cousin currently plays college football at Idaho State, my dad played D-1 football and made it to the NFL playing for the Colts. My grandpa played D-1 football and went to the NFL and played for the Dallas Cowboys. So it’s not that surprising that I’d end up an athlete with the passion to play sports at the collegiate level, however, I am the first soccer player in my family. My positions are usually on the upper part of the field, whether it’s attacking mid, wing, or forward. My positions and purpose on the field are to score. I am known for my speed, power, and agility and I use all three of those things to defeat any opponent I am faced with.  I have played soccer for many years and been blessed with athletic gifts. I am also highly competitive, a team player, very coachable and will continue to learn and grow as a soccer athlete.

    As a student-athlete, my family has always told me that education is a huge priority. They’ve taught me the importance of school and working hard on the soccer field to achieve my academic and athletic dreams. Currently, I am ranked #1 out of my 10th grade class of 500 students. I hold a 4.0 cumulative GPA. I’m not completely sure on what I want my major to be, but I’m leaning towards the field of law. With that goal in mind, I’ve constantly been working hard to be at the top of my classes and to be a high academic achiever. In 7th grade, I was elected to be class representative, and In 8th grade I was voted as ASB Vice President all while juggling school, club soccer, competitive dance and basketball. In 9th grade I was elected as the media director Women’s Empowerment. I also got 1st Place and qualified to compete in Washington DC in the National History Day competition for the Junior Individual Performance category. However, Covid hit and I wasn’t able to go. I also won the Leadership award, high honor roll and (with a unanimous vote from my peers), the amiability award in 8th grade. I played the violin from 5th-8th grade and performed in many orchestra concerts. In the past year, I also received a Top 3 Award at the Model United Nations 2021 Conference this year.

      With all this to say, I’d be a perfect fit for a college that will challenge me, and help me grow as a student-athlete. Athletically, I’ve been working hard since I was a little girl to one day achieve my dream of playing soccer at the D-1 level, and earning a college degree. I am excited to continue to work hard in the classroom and on the field! Thank you for reading my statement and getting to know who I am.

Nevaeh Lacy