Shania Rivas '21 Recruiting Profile

Hello Coaches,

My collegiate goals and aspirations:

My long term aspiration is either to go pro and continue to play soccer even after my college years or become a journalist and expand my knowledge in various current events and be able to report them to the public. These are my long term goals and aspirations because I love to communicate and forward information. This applies to both on the field and off the field. 

Why I am a good candidate for your team?

I am a good candidate for any team because of my athleticism and versatility. During high school, I was able to contribute to my varsity team by playing many positions including, outside back, center back, and outside midfield. This year I am going to embrace playing a new position my junior year, center midfield. Not only I have the physical skill of a strong player, but I also have a mindset of a strong player. I play positions where I am challenged by bigger and stronger girls, and I have always embraced the challenge. Soccer will never be "just a game" to me. I view this beautiful sport as a job. It requires dedication and passion. I play by the motto, "Not by chance nor by luck, just practicing hard and playing smart." - Hackensack Royals.  

What makes me different from other recruits in character, athletics and academics?

I am determined and hard-working in both athletics and academics. I started to play soccer "late" in the game. When I first began to play soccer I was not the best and I used to overhear some of my teammates talk unfairly about me. I used that as fuel to push harder to prove myself to my coach and team. I woke up early mornings and head to the park with my dad to train and improve my skills. In a matter of a year, I finally became a starter in the outside back position. One year later, I became captain of my freshman team and then soon moved up to varsity my freshman year as well. Being a starter on varsity my freshman year had always been a dream of mine; with hard work and determination, it became a reality. My next goal is to play college level soccer. Once I set my mind on a future goal, I would not allow anything to tarnish that. No matter what obstacles come my way, I always keep going. For my entire high school academic career I have always been determined in not allowing soccer to interrupt my grades. I remained diligent with my schoolwork no matter how tired and exhausted I was from a practice or game. As a result, I have been rewarded Gold Honor Roll every marking period for each year. I am not just an athlete, I am a student-athlete.