Rhaya Manning '26 Recruiting Profile

My name is Rhaya Manning and I am a Junior at Longmeadow High School. I have played three years of varsity soccer and one year of varsity ice hockey. During my freshman year soccer season, I started every game and was a 90-minute player. To begin with I played outside back and then stepped in at center-back due to an injury. As a sophomore, I also started and played the whole game, and took the goal kicks for my team. Similarly, in my sophomore year, I again had to step in at the center-back position. I also received All-Western Mass Second Team as a sophomore. So far, for my junior year, I have earned the position of a captain. On the academic front, I'm dedicated to excelling in my studies, earning a place on the First Honor Roll. I am currently enrolled in challenging courses such as, AP Lanuage and Composition, AP Environmental Science, Accounting ll Honors, French lV Honors, Precalculus Honors, and U.S. History ll Honors. I strive to maintain a well-rounded academic profile. I play club soccer for the 2008 FC Stars RL (Blue) ECNL. My aspirations extend beyond high school, where I aim to play at the collegiate level in a program that emphasizes both academic excellence and soccer, whether that be at the D1 through D3 level. As a player, I am coachable, hard-working, and possess a high soccer IQ, I can compete effectively with the physicality of high school play and the technical skill required in club soccer. During the high school season, I helped my team win the Western Mass Championships playing center-back for the full 90 minutes. Our defense allowed no shots on net during this game as well as other games throughout our season. I also took part in bringing my previous club team (Boston Bolts, NPL) to the National Tournament in Colorado during the summer of 2022 where we made it to the quarter-finals. As a center-back, I am good at staying composed with the ball at my feet and providing support (defensive positioning). As a wing-back, I get involved in the offense; taking the ball wide, creating scoring opportunities, and being creative with overlapping runs. Also, I cover for my center-backs, angling opponents with the ball wide, and winning 50/50 balls. As I progress, I aim to continuously update my profile and provide more information about my career interests, future showcase attendance, etc. Thank you for your time and consideration.