MacLaren Richards '24 Recruiting Profile

My name is MacLaren, but everyone calls me Mac. I am 16 years old and in the class of 2024 at Niskayuna High School. I have played soccer since I was 4 and have always loved the sport. Athletics have been a very important and easy coming natural capability of mine throughout my life, but I've only seen the most importance and value in the sport of soccer. The sport has taught me so much already and I'm still growing as a player and person on and off the field.  I'm always ready to listen and willing to learn more. I am a versatile player and can play many positions on the field.  I consider myself a leader and was the captain of my 7th and 8th-grade school teams, as well as being voted MVP by my peers in 2021.  Although being the only freshman on my school varsity team in 2020 was challenging, I developed strong relationships with many of my teammates that will last a lifetime.  I have been playing club soccer for 8 years and have been with my current team (Albany Alleycats) for 6.  While I have been there, we have won the State Cup twice and have played in many top-level tournaments against the best teams in Region 1 and beyond.  This year I also played for the north NY ODP team and was selected to participate in their East Regional ID camp, the Regional Training camp in Virginia, and also the inter-regionals in Orlando.

I am looking forward to playing soccer in college and would like to find a good fit both academically and athletically. While I don't have a designated major just yet, I would be interested in a career in the field of art or something related to interior design as well as criminology.  I am also interested in fashion merchandising.