How old were you when you first started playing, who taught you to play and who most influenced your development as a young player?
I started playing at age five on the Green Gators and my first traveling team coach was Mike Drenth at LTSC who helped bring me to a high enough level to move onto the Chicago Magic. At Magic, John Hannan helped to develop my overall knowledge of the game while Nathan Pitlock taught me about the importance of organization within a team.

What's been the single best moment of your soccer career thus far, at any level of competition?
The state championship.

What has been the most valuable aspect of being trained by the Academy coaches?
The always have suggestions for improvement. I'm benefiting most from the suggestions and coaching dealing with rotation and movement in general.

What has training with the Academy taught you about yourself as a player and where do you need improvement?
I need to improve my ability to work in tight spaces as a center-mid and I also need to work on my finishing. When I play with confidence, i have a fairly well-rounded game.

What is the most difficult part of training with the Academy?
Staying resilient and confident. The training sessions themselves are not overly physically challenging.

Does the training differ from past training you've had, and in what way?
Yes, most of my past training has been much simpler exercises in general, like for example, a 5 v. 5 possession game.

Which of your Academy teammates impresses you the most and why?
Victor impresses me with his confidence on the ball, his fluidity and especially his ability to escape from tight spots. If he continues to improve tactically, I have no doubt that he could be a top-of-the-line pro.
While Victor impresses me as a soccer player, Keaton impresses me as a person. His conviction in Christ allows him to keep a positive outlook at all times. He's already had a huge impact on me and I know everyone on the team has a lot to learn about life from him. Keaton is part of the reason why I look forward to coming to training every day.

Which of the other U-16 or U-18 Academy players impresses you and why?
Billy impresses me with his leadership, understanding of his position and consistency. Unlike many on-field leaders, he almost always keeps his comments constructive and insightful, which can have a huge effect on surrounding players. He times his tackles nearly perfectly and puts himself in the best spot to do so by recognizing danger early. He rarely loses a challenge, takes a bad touch or passes the ball inaccurately.