Haiden Tracey-Elcombe '26 Recruiting Profile

I’m a versatile and athletic box-to-box midfielder and 4.0 GPA 2026 recruit from Kitchener, Ontario, committed to excellence on the pitch and in the classroom. 

I commuted over an hour 5 times a week to play for a top-ranked Canadian club side (London Alliance FC ‘07) in 2024, trained at a Category A Welsh Academy (Fall 2023) and now travel 3.5 hours to train at Aaron Byrd’s Next Level Training (NLT) program in Detroit. At NLT, six different trainers assessed me as a D1 talent. For the coming season – in addition to continuing my training with NLT – I will play for Cambridge’s Ontario League 1 U20 Development team.

Off the pitch I’m a 4.0 GPA student graduating this June from Forest Heights Collegiate Institute in Kitchener. I’m looking for opportunities in 2026 (following a gap year/term) to play at a top-quality academic institution committed to soccer excellence. I plan to use the post-grad time to maximize my physical (as a late developer) and technical development as well as research potential academic programs and majors.

My strengths on the pitch include high-end athleticism, tactical flexibility, and technical versatility. Athletically, I use my “great engine” and natural running abilities (4^th at Ontario High School Junior XC Championships in Grade 10; nationally ranked 800/1500/3000m track athlete) to press high and track back defensively, to overlap/underlap wide players, and to intelligently move beyond the defensive line and make late runs into the box. 

Tactically, I’ve played as an undersized centre back (4-3-3), a wing-back (3-5-2), and more recently alternating between wide and holding midfield roles for London Alliance (4-2-3-1). This upcoming season I expect to play as a more advanced midfielder (an ‘8’ – what I consider my best position) in a 3-5-2 for Cambridge. My adaptability reflects my coachability, team-first commitment and leadership abilities.

Technically, my desire to constantly improve and exposure to multiple positions translate into a versatile midfielder’s skillset. I continue to significantly improve my quality in tight spaces, capability to make high level plays with both feet (passing range, dribbling, shooting), skill in winning defensive duels, and ability to attack defences with pace and vision.

I am excited about my future as a student-athlete as I see myself as a dedicated student, versatile player, highly coachable and committed to excellence in all aspects of my life - especially the game of soccer which is my passion.