Nicholas Cardarelli '24 Recruiting Profile

My collegiate goals and aspirations are to become the best collegiate soccer player and to make a very positive impact on my teammates and the local community.  Excellent ball skills, strong switch-foot capability, and astute game decision making knowledge are some of the key attributes that I possess and will be excited to perform, for your competitive soccer team.  

My interest and passion for the game started very early, when I began kicking and dribbling a size 3 ball.  At five, I began playing recreational, competitive soccer in my hometown and my skills were immediately noticed by the more competitive Travel Coaches.  My Travel soccer experience began with the Brewster Blaze, where I excelled for several years, leading the team in assists and goals and leading the team to two Division Two Titles.  At the same time, I played a very important role as a scorer and assister on my middle school team (Mizzentop Day School) which resulted in winning the League Championship.  My perseverance to excel, progressed to being selected for the East Hudson Youth Soccer Academy Team, where we won the 2019 U-14 Lehigh Valley Classic.  This experience led me to have the opportunity to be invited to play at a higher level of competition with the LaGrange Premier team (NYCSL 2020-21, finishing 2nd in the league, USYS EDP North Atlantic Premier II Red 2021-22), starting at age fourteen.  Freshman year of high school, I made the Kennedy Catholic High School Varsity Team, where we placed 2nd in the league and finished first in the 2020 New York CHSAA Championship.  Sophomore year, I became a starter at left/right midfield but most unfortunately, my season was cut short due to contracting Covid 19, right as our game schedule kicked off in September.  Even with an abbreviated second year High School season, I was selected to tryout for a very competitive NYSC U-17 team.   We finished first in the very competitive USYS EDP North Atlantic Premier Red and now are being promoted to play against the top ranked teams in NY East and the nation.  We are ranked #25 in New York East as of 8/2/23.

I train with many professional international coaches in the United States.  Chris Obi was a Nigerian professional soccer player who has played at the highest level for years.  He has become very influential in my soccer development.  I also privately train with Desmond Morris, my high school soccer coach, who was a professional soccer player for St. Vincent and the Grenadines and competed in the World Cup qualifiers.  He was a scout for the LA Galaxy and currently is a NYCFC scout. 

In addition to my extensive professional training instruction in the US, I have traveled to Spain during Summer vacation and have played recreational soccer.  These valuable experiences have helped me understand how soccer is played around the world.  This has helped to increase my game decision making knowledge, because of the different strategies and tactics used internationally.  My passion for soccer and enjoyment of playing the game, definitely have cultural, familial roots. 

Since five, I have been training, practicing and teaching Tae-Kwon-Do, and currently hold the rank of Second Degree Black Belt.  Tae-Kwon-Do has given me the opportunity to attain a high level of balance, flexibility and self-confidence, that has vastly improved my soccer skills.  It has also engrained in me very important qualities that players should possess, including focus, respect, and leadership.  These qualities have made their way to the soccer field by helping me to be a coachable player, with a persistent and persevering mindset.