Mateo Ochoa '24 Recruiting Profile

I was introduced to the beautiful game of soccer when I was 3 years old. Ever since I stepped foot on the field and had a ball at my feet I fell in love with the sport. Over the years I have been focused on my main goal in life: to become a professional soccer player. I believe that establishing a collegiate goal of playing D1 soccer can serve as a gateway to reach my objective. As for academic goals, although I have not found a definite field of study, I have narrowed down my options to the fields of medicine and STEM. 

I believe that I will be the perfect fit for whichever team I join because I can easily accommodate into any environment I am introduced to. This   proves to be useful when building the chemistry needed amongst teammates and coaches. I am also a leader on and off the field, making sure to always motivate my teammates to be the best versions of themselves, and never discourage them when mistakes occur. While it is normal to let loose a little and have fun with your team, when it comes to game day, I ensure that each and every single player is locked in on the end goal of winning. 

Athletically, I exceed as a forward because of my main strengths which are my timing, speed, and strength. Perfectly timing my runs allows me to play behind the defenders backs and outpace them, which many times places me with a goal scoring opportunity. Many times runs are limited, so I tend to drop lower than my original position and play with the ball at my feet, calmly distributing to create play. However, when these two options are not available, I can effectively play with my back turned to goal because my strength allows me to hold the ball long enough to set my teammates up for clear chances. 

Academically, I have always been top of my class. Up until recently, I was always a straight "A" student, but with the rigor of my courses increasing, I have received some "B's". I used to be ranked 20/901 which placed me in the top 2% of my class; however, my ranking dropped to 44/901 which places me in the top 4%. I also have a cumulative GPA of 3.9/4.0, core GPA of 4.3/5.0, weighted GPA of 5.2/6.0, and I am on track to receive the Florida Brights scholarship through the AICE Cambridge program as I have passed 5/7 of the required courses.

Overall, I believe that I will reach my goals with the aid of athletic and academic scholarships.