Charles Pendleton-Nash '24 Recruiting Profile

My passion for sports is matched only by my determination to succeed and academic work ethic. As a centre-back, I take pride in my ability to lead my team from the back of the pitch. Off the pitch, I have a 3.8 GPA, demonstrating my commitment to both my athletic and academic pursuits.

Whilst I would love to dive straight into a sport related career, I understand the challenges and professional growth required in order to get there. Completing a rigorous A Level Programme has made me versatile and adaptable, particularly when it comes to balancing academics and extracurricular activities. I believe that my academic subject choices have allowed me to develop as a well-rounded student.

Studying Biology, Physical Education and Business has strengthened my foundations of scientific theories and allowed me to exemplify my numerical, innovative, analytical and problem-solving abilities in both the laboratory and on paper. These abilities have been demonstrated in my extended studies analysing & developing my understanding of performance analysis, nutrition, coaching pedagogy as well as sport and exercise physiology. I have had the opportunity to apply these learnings to my own athletic performance on the football field.

I possess an innate, curious desire for the acquisition of sports knowledge. My knowledge in the field was further elevated through my selection to be part of the Gems Elite Sports Development Academy. I was also awarded the prestigious Academy Football Captain & am currently undertaking the L3 Sports Leaders Award. These opportunities have enabled me to develop my team leadership skills, assertiveness & humility, characteristics I believe are important along with assimilation of knowledge. These opportunities enabled me to show my public speaking skills, my ability to work effectively and efficiently within a team whilst also demonstrating my leadership qualities. 

Outside of my academic studies I enjoy a wide range of extra-curricular activities. I am a qualified Football Association Football Coach and enjoying sharing my knowledge to promote the next generation of young footballers. I am also a qualified Football Association Referee and work as the youngest male to referee in the Dubai Youth Football League. I play competitive football for an elite football academy competing in the u-18 squad who are the newly crowned Division 1 Champions of the Dubai Youth Football League. Our squad are also the Cup Champions for the MINA Cup UAE Qualifiers. I was also selected to play open-age in the DAFL Men’s Football League. In addition to playing competitive football, I also compete at Varsity level in Volleyball, Golf & Athletics

As an intrepid traveller and having been raised as a third-culture child I am fortunate enough to have travelled extensively and view myself as a global citizen. I have walked the ruins of Pompeii and the temples in Bali, dived in the Great Barrier Reef, danced with the Kamora Tribe in Papua and played street games with the locals in Vietnam. Over the last 9 years I have had the opportunity to learn to speak Mandarin, Bahasa Indonesia, French, Spanish and Arabic. Despite living in a remote place for several years I made the best of the local environment. I completed my Advanced Bushcraft Certificate which culminated in a trek and campout in the Papuan jungle with a focus on jungle survival skills. Additionally, I have been a senior in the UAE Pirates Surf Rescue Sports Academy. 

Whilst I appreciate the opportunities afforded to me I also believe in enriching the lives of others through service. Whilst living in Singapore I participated in an elderly visiting service, in Indonesia I hosted a charity run for ‘Save The Children’ and I have been part of beach clean-up teams in Malaysia, and as part of my surf rescue team in the UAE.  I recognise that I can enrich my own life by enhancing the lives of others. These experiences have afforded me the opportunity to become a better communicator, highly adaptive, empathetic and more open-minded through exposure to a range of different languages and cultures. These experiences have also helped to develop my perseverance and resilience as a football player. 

I look forward to being challenged, enhanced academically and  athletically as well as becoming a rounded individual, equipped to meet the challenges of the academic world.