Kosei Oikawa '22 Recruiting Profile

My motto are 'Quick adapt into diversity' and 'Always linking at centre' on the pitch as well as off the pitch. Throughout my high school life, I have always challenged myself to a higher stage both on football and academic towards my dream. I moved to a new life 3 times in the past 4 years inside New Zealand and oversea Spain, and this has set myself on a perfect level for college soccer in United States.

In my freshman year, 2018, I was scouted to the Wellington Phoenix Football Academy, the only professional academy in New Zealand. This was because our team had Won Nationals the previous year and I was part of the "Ongoing monitoring list for the NZF U17 Men's National Team" for the 2019 FIFA U17 World Cup in Peru and the academy gathered players from all around New Zealand to observe the progress of future national representatives.

Here, I grew not only on the soccer field with the best players from around the country, but also as a person, living in a much more competitive environment. I also won 2 national titles both in soccer and futsal for the Junior team, receiving the tournament MVP for the futsal nationals. Because of this, I was selected in the NZ Secondary Schools National U-15 team to travel to Malaysia. This was one of my best experiences on an international stage.

To challenge myself internationally, in August 2019 I had the opportunity to study abroad in Spain while playing soccer at a local academy and study the International Baccalaureate. I pounced on it straight away with the ambition to transfer from the local academy to bigger local clubs. However, COVID-19 struck my life very hard and I was forced to return home. I had a strong passion to pursuit my dream in Spain, however it was impossible to do this without thinking about my safety. 

Upon returning from Spain, I challenged myself in a full men's environment, the top league in my city. Being the youngest eligible age at 16 years old, my season was very challenging. However, I learnt a lot from the 2020 season. 

Looking ahead to college soccer, my ambition is still in soccer, but I do hold strong importance on my academics too. I believe academics is equally as important as playing well on the field, so I have kept a high level of grades throughout my high school career while playing soccer at a high level. So, from my college experience I am prepared to continue my passion in football while studying at world-class institutions, setting myself up for a great path as a student-athlete.