James Buonaccorsi '22 Recruiting Profile

I have been playing soccer since I was five years old. After winning several championships with my local travel team in elementary school, I wanted to challenge myself and play more competitive soccer in middle school.  However, living in a very rural area,  this meant I had to travel for good coaching and competition.  So I joined a club in State College, PA (45 minutes away) called Mountain District Union (MDU) and ODP in Pittsburgh (2 hrs away). I also found a great small-sided practice group in State College, coached by Cesar Caceres, that provided the challenge I needed in middle school.  I spent several years with MDU until I felt as though I was no longer being challenged by either my teammates or opponents.  So, for a more competitive coaching experience, in 9th grade I decided to join a Liverpool Academy team in Hagerstown, MD.  There I developed a better feel for the mental side of the game, but Liverpool posed a commuting issue, so I figured it would be best if I joined a more local club to be better involved in training and development. In 10th grade, I began playing with the Hollidaysburg Hooligans and besides the name, I think they're a great fit.  The team has had a lot of success winning most of their games in the most competitive division in PA West, so both my teammates and opponents can provide the challenge I am looking for.  Also, the coaches are all college coaches which is great not only for learning in soccer, but also if I have a question about the recruiting process. 

One of the main reasons why I have continued to play soccer is because of the awesome feeling I get when I see my hard work pay off. For example, I have been practicing my finishing capabilities and it's a good feeling to be rewarded with scoring goals. This inspires me to become a more well-rounded athlete across the board.

Off the field I push myself by taking difficult classes.   At home I am either relaxing, playing the piano,  or practicing soccer in my free time. This year my goals are to continue to learn and push myself to get better on and off the field.