Ethan Lu '20 Recruiting Profile

At the age of six, my career in soccer began. Initially, I tried a variety of sports, but the sport I set my heart on was soccer. To me, soccer stimulates adrenaline with its fast pace and excitement of blocking a goal. After four years of soccer at AYSO, I decided recreational soccer was not sufficiently satisfying. Instead, I chose to participate in club soccer so I could play more competitively. In club soccer, I was able to challenge myself and improve my skills. I continue to play club soccer on the LA Galaxy Orange County team. My constant devotion to soccer feeds my goal of playing this sport at the collegiate level and beyond.

For the past seven years I have played goalkeeper. I have improved both my communication and leadership skills. In every game, I must communicate effectively with my teammates in order to direct them on the field. Through my words, I contribute a positive attitude throughout the pitch. This communication is essential to winning the game. Since the beginning of my soccer career, I have devoted time weekly to playing soccer. We commute 1 ½ hours to practice three times each week, and I continue to train on my goalkeeping skills every weekend. Devoting so many hours to soccer does takes time from my academics and social life. Despite not being able to dedicate as much time as I would like into studying, I have adapted and learned better time management skills. Although soccer may have kept me from hanging out with some of my friends, it has provided me with a new family that shares a common interest and goal.

While on the field as a goalkeeper, I am calm and focused on the game. At the beginning of each game, I clear my mind of everything else and focus only on the spinning ball and the players’ body language. After blocking a shot, I feel a rush of excitement, because I have just contributed to a potential win for my team. Blocking the opposition from scoring gives me pride in my alertness and quickness, both physically and mentally. It is then that I know that I have done my part as a goalkeeper.

I hope to play at the collegiate level in hopes of advancing beyond. I look forward to playing with similarly skilled players so I can learn from them and improve. Playing soccer at the collegiate level will give me the opportunity to become a contributing member of the school community and have a life beyond academics. Although the challenging classes I choose now and will continue to choose in college will provide significant stress, soccer serves to alleviate my stress and allow me to feel more relaxed. It is my release! Ironically, this may benefit me academically in college. I will also use this as a platform to pursue my dream of playing soccer in the professional level.

Please consider me as a well-qualified candidate for your team because of my continued diligence and aspirations to continue improving.