Joey Ruffino '25 Recruiting Profile

Currently, I play for South Florida Football Academy MLSNEXT full-time.  I began playing travel soccer at 6-7 years old.  This is my third club.  For as long as I can remember, I have trained extensively through the regular season which is almost year-round in Florida.  In addition, I have spent multiple summers for three to four weeks at a time at IMG Academy in Bradenton training and learning everything I can about the game of soccer. Soccer is my passion and where my heart is. I believe my greatest asset is the ability to play any position on the field.  I am a defender at heart.  However, coaches over the years tend to want to play me on offense due to my technical ability and creativity.   I am quick on the ball and love to split the defense and create opportunities for my teammates.  I love defense because I can see the entire field from the back and I have the natural ability to cut the angle between the ball and the opponent in transition when the play is developing from the opponent's offense.  I have already committed to SFFA MLSNEXT full-time for 2024-25 season and look forward to competing at the highest level for my last youth soccer season.  I also play UPSL Division 1 for South Florida Football Academy (SFFA).  The competition at UPSL challenges my intensity and allows me to compete against players older than me.