Brendan O'Neil '16 Recruiting Profile

After playing soccer for over 10 years it has become a part of my life that I cant imagine living without. The sport has given me a way to express myself and has provided an uncanny learning opportunities. Spending hours practicing, traveling to games, tournaments  and spending weekends in hotels rooms has become merely routine and l wouldn't want it any other way. The release that has come from playing this sport is unlike any other that I've ever played, baseball, basketball, lacrosse, and football. When playing soccer it forces you to work as a unit, and your unit is only as strong as your weakest link. Unlike other sports where one player may be able to carry an entire team, soccer requires the team to carry individuals. As a keeper I know this to be true because if I have a bad day or a poor game it reflects directly into the score. Though it may be a lot of pressure it also reaps great reward. As I have evolved in my game I have seen how I don't effect the game solely as a shot blocker, I have to be a leader and a "quarterback". The best goalie in the world (Neuer) effects the game more than any other keeper out there. That's what I aspire to do every time I take the field, effect the game positively for my team and be more than just a shot blocker. This has transferred off the field into my academics and job. Because I have been in the spotlight, positively or negatively, on the field, I learned to deal with situations off the field with more confidence, making critical decisions has become easier. Soccer has also taught me to be patient and how to stay focused on a task even when it may be boring. Its necessary during a game to be patient when goals aren't coming your way. It is also easy to loose focus during a game where goals are coming very often. In essence, soccer has shaped me into the person I am today and without it I don't know who or where I would be. I want soccer to continue to shape me into a better person and a better player. As a collegiate athlete I wish to continue to evolve my game to become the best goalie I can possibly be.