Gunnar Lucuk '22 Recruiting Profile

  My name is Gunnar Lucuk I'm an incoming junior at Choate Rosemary Hall in Walingford CT. I have always been in love with the game of soccer and got extremely into it becoming a goalkeeper at the premier level when I was nine. This all started during the time when my uncle became one of the coaches for Darfur United, a team of refugees that played internationally. When I saw what my uncle and others were able to do with the sport, I was astonished on how many lives they affect by just coaching a team.  Ever since then my dream has been to make it to the collegiate level and beyond in soccer, wanting it so bad to the point where I won't stop working to make my goals happen.   

    Still being young there are a lot of things I am interested in pursuing. I have always wanted to do some kind of job where I can make a positive impact on people by helping them out in some way and there are a lot of ways I can see myself doing that in the future. I can be a coach and a teacher to help guide kids in the right path or I find it interesting  to be a physical therapist where I'd be able to help people who have disabilities like my sister. Lastly, a degree in business is something I take interest in because the people in that field are always making an impact on others in some way shape or form. Even though my mind isn't made up yet I know that what I want to be is someone who makes some kind of impact on this planet.

    The biggest thing I bring to every team I've been apart of is leadership. In all the soccer and basketball games that I have been a part of I've been the leader of the team. I find multiple ways to bring this leadership into the locker room. My best skill in being a leader is my communication during the game I'm always talking making sure everyone is on the same page and everything is put into place for our team to have the best chance to win the game as if I’m a coach on the field. I make sure to present myself in a professional manner at all times to be a good example for the team. No matter whom we play I always make sure there is good sportsmanship. Lastly, no matter what that person is my teammate I have their back on and off the field whenever they need me because that's what you have to do as the leader of the team.

Update: I completed my first year at Choate Rosemary Hall where I was recruited to reclassify as a 2022 on a full scholarship. Although my team failed to make the playoffs in my first year I was able to have a successful season individually. I started and finished every game in my first season. I concluded the season being named in New England Soccer Journals Top Class of 2022 players to watch in New England and their top prep school underclassmen XI. Also during the year I had former World Cup coach Dan Gaspar as my Goalkeeping Coach at Choate where he helped me improve as a player tremendously.  Sadly my spring season was canceled due to the recent pandemic but have pushed myself to train 3-4 hours a day ever since quarantine started and won’t stop.