Jakob Benz '22 Recruiting Profile

I am always trying to get to the next level, from grades and classes in school to the teams and level of soccer I am playing. For me the next level of soccer is at the collegiate level.To get to the collegiate level, it will require more than just skills on the field. School and grades are an important factor at this level, which I believe helps separate me from others because of the time and effort I have given on the field and in the classroom. Soccer adds a lot to my schedule, especially at the level I am playing at, as well as the extra training and workouts it requires. Something in me always wants to challenge myself with more, even though it can make life stressful at times and I have less of a social life with friends and family.

At the end of it all, it makes me feel like I have given more time and effort than the athlete/student next to me. I also strive to reach the next level in whatever I am doing, from card tricks to yo-yo's, I was always working to try more difficult tricks. This applies to me on both the soccer field and school. For soccer I better my game by making the highest team for my age at a club, then when it was time to find a harder challenge I went to a better club and climbed the ladder again.For school, I was placed in regular classes in elementary school. By middle school I had worked to get placed in advanced classes, so that I was on track to take honors level courses in high school.When I have some free time, I like to go fishing. Some lessons I have learned is that it is better to stick with your bait (plan) and be patient, to catch your fish. Rather than to try to change to someone else's bait, to try to catch their fish. I feel that there is opportunity everywhere, but there are also bumps in the road. I know that to overcome these bumps I must use my energy and focus on what I am trying to accomplish, be myself, and the opportunity for me will appear.