Fernando Alves '24 Recruiting Profile

For more photos and videos please visit my Instagram account @fernandoalves_gkp

My passion for goalkeeping has impacted my life both inside and outside the soccer field. Having started at a young age of 7, it provided me the opportunity to meet and interact with people from all different backgrounds which has helped me grow my own views of the world and also to quickly adapt to a new environment. As I look back on my 10 year soccer career, I can honestly say that it has been very fulfilling, gaining so much from it and at the same time it has helped me develop into the man I am today. What I have learned will not only help me in my soccer career but my life will benefit from it too, things like working hard, time management, discipline, perseverance, resilience and staying mentally, emotionally and physically strong. I am a team player but at the same time I am aware of my individual responsibility in my position and I take it very seriously. I am always willing to learn more, to work harder and to be proactive.

It all began at the beach one day in the southern part of Portugal when I turned to my grandfather (who was a former goalkeeper) saying that I wanted to become the greatest goalkeeper. I was privileged to grow up in a very close, supportive and hard working family. I have always had the mentality that if I´m going to do something, then I´m going to do it properly or not at all. I love sports but since very young I knew that I wanted to be a professional goalkeeper and that has been my focus ever since. I love this position because its challenging and interesting and at the same time I feel proud to follow in my grandfathers footsteps. I have been in 5 different clubs in Portugal. I played in two of the best clubs in the country (Benfica, and Sporting) and I was called for tests for Porto (another one of the three best clubs in Portugal). 

I train 6 days a week, which includes a game on the weekend, as well as do gym 4-5 times a week. During the summer I continue to keep my fitness up by doing private training to improve my techniques and skills. I also continue doing gym, which I either do alone with a trainer or with other goalkeepers that are older than I am (18-19 year olds). My goal is to join a soccer club in the USA in division 1 or 2 or in England while studying at the same time. 

Below are the clubs I’ve been in throughout my more than 10 year career as a goalkeeper: 

Sporting Academy in Lisbon (2013-2016), CF Belenenses (2016-2018), Benfica in Seixal (2018-2020), CF Belenenses (2020-2021), Real Sport Clube (2021-2022) and Alverca (2022-current).

Even though my soccer career takes up a great deal of my time, I manage my academic responsibilities too. I have been in the American school called CAISL in Lisbon, Portugal since the age of 3. I will graduate in 2023 with an American HS diploma as well as an SAT and AP Calculus. It isn´t always easy to juggle everything at the same time but so far I have been able to do it successfully and this experience will help me deal with many things in life, especially the perfect preparation for a College Athlete. I speak three languages: English (mother tongue), Portuguese and Spanish (foreign language). I am looking to get into a college that takes my soccer career seriously and at the same time challenges me academically. This combination will motivate me to give my very best and reach higher goals. I am not sure yet what I want to major in but for now I´m looking into business or architecture. My goal is to get into a professional soccer club and complete my college education. I was part of the community service club (food collection for the less fortunate). The school soccer coach has always wanted me to play in the school soccer team but due to my full schedule I only play when there are games that do not clash with my clubs games and last year in 2021 my school soccer coach awarded me with the MVP award. 

I also enjoy playing basketball and American football and my hobbies include playing the guitar, writing songs, drawing, art and going to the gym.