Declan Mettee '21 Recruiting Profile

The youngest of three siblings, I was always trying to keep up with my sisters. I would mess around on the sidelines during my sister’s soccer games as a very young kid, and my father is a former college player and high school coach, so soccer has always been part of my world. I fell in love with the offensive side of the game early on, and I’ve always found myself as part of the attack, whether as a striker or winger. I’ve been lucky to set the single-season scoring record for our school two years in a row. My junior year was particularly rewarding as our team became state tournament quarter-finalists, and I was nominated to the all-state team.

Soccer has provided an opportunity for me to understand the importance of perseverance better. Heading down to the soccer field in my spare time to get in more touches and push myself further is something that I have come to embrace, and I see this time alone on the field as critical to the determination and focus that it takes to succeed in college and beyond.

As a faculty kid at a boarding school, I have the good fortune of attending a high-powered academic institution. The faculty expects academic excellence from their students, and I have come to internalize the desire to push myself academically and athletically. Off the field, I have pressed myself to take high-level classes when they are available even though it would have been much easier to take regular courses. On the field, I have challenged myself by becoming part of programs outside of club and high school soccer. I had the opportunity to play for the Asheville City FC academy team last summer, and I continue to play for the Olympic Development Program as part of the region three pool.

My drive to play soccer at the highest level possible means I’ve had to sacrifice sleep and socializing to stay on top of my schoolwork and improve my skills as a player, but I’ve come to understand that putting in the effort now will produce opportunities in the future. I look forward to playing for your school.