Griffin Tracey's Men's Soccer Recruiting Profile

Personal Statement

My love for the game of soccer began at age five when my parents signed me up for a youth league in my hometown. As I became older, the opportunities to play soccer at higher levels continued to present themselves and I loved the challenges that came along with it. Not only did I learn how to face many physical and mental challenges, but my coaches taught me early on goal setting for the teams I have played on and setting personal goals. Team goal setting always started with: win each game, win a Conference title, win a Regional title, win a Sectional title, and leading to a State title. Making the varsity roster as a sophomore was a personal goal I had set for myself after my freshman year. While I was not a starter my sophomore year on the varsity team, I played significant minutes in each game. The biggest personal goal I have set for myself is to go to college to get a degree and to play soccer while working towards a degree.

Playing soccer in a small community did provide some challenges as I grew up, but these challenges also helped prepare me for playing soccer at a higher level. Prior to entering high school while playing club soccer, my age group was faced with the challenge of not having enough players to roster a team. Not having enough players often meant that the teams I played on consisted of younger and/or older players as well as playing for different coaches at various age groups. At one point during my club soccer years I had female teammates. I believe this experience of playing with different ages, genders, and coaches helped me prepare for my high school soccer career and ultimately prepare me for playing soccer at the college level because of the different abilities and styles I experienced. On a more personal level the greatest challenge I have faced is watching one of my teammates, my best friend, leave for Cincinnati Ohio to battle a very rare disease. This disease took his life a year later and I was not able to complete my years of playing soccer with him. Watching him battle, fight and lose his life has made me realize that not everything in life is a given. You must work hard, try your best and always be ready for what life throws your way.

Along with being named captain of the soccer team, I was recently selected to take part in a leadership group at school. The goal of the leadership group is to not only prepare all members of the group for the challenges faced on and off the field, court, or diamond but prepare the members for the challenges of life. This leadership group will define characteristics that great leaders possess and establish standards for future identified leaders at my high school. I believe I not only have the talent to compete for a college team, but the character, work-ethic, and leadership skills to make an immediate impact on your program. I also know that I have what it takes to be a leader on your team!