“My biggest fear is spiders.
“I came here mostly because of soccer. I’m a post-grad, and it’s my first year here. Coach Moodey recruited me, and I wanted to come here for some good academics and the good soccer program to set myself up for college.
“I was a senior last year at Saratoga Springs, New York. I played varsity basketball and was a starter, and we did pretty well. In the summer, I play a lot of golf. I’m a scratch golfer, which I think is pretty cool, but I’m kind of getting worse as I don’t play as much anymore. I try to mix it up as far as sports go, so I don’t burn out and because it makes it more fun.
“Saratoga is unique because of the many activities and how it brings the community together with good crowds at school sporting events, places to eat, the racetrack, parks, and golf courses, where kids even in middle and high school ride their bikes downtown to meet up, especially in the summer and after school.
“At my old school, we had a lot of athletes for basketball. We had six seniors who were in the rotation, five of whom started, so we’d get all of our friends out for a few games. We had 300, 400, 500 kids in the student section, so it’d be a packed gym, and it was super, super fun to play in front of. All the parents would come out, a lot of the town would come out. So it was awesome for basketball as well as soccer.
“It is somewhat similar here. I’d say definitely on a smaller scale, as opposed to 2000 students back at my old school, we have 200 here, but kind of runs the same. I mean, all the soccer kids try and get to the hockey games when we can, and we try and support them, and vice versa. When they’re available, they try to come to our games. I think it’s really important in a school, and it brings kids together.
“My grandma gives me a pack of Skittles after every game, whether it was basketball or soccer. She’s continued that—every game that she comes to, she gives me a pack of Skittles.
“My relationship with my grandparents is really good. My grandpa plays golf and skis, and my brothers and dad do too. We often do at least one or two golf rounds throughout the summer where we play 18 holes, and we’re all often pretty busy doing our own thing, so it’s four hours with the guys catching up, which is a lot of fun. In the winter, it’s a full-day ski trip. We drive up to Okemo in Vermont, which is their favorite mountain, and it’s a really fun time.
“I don’t question my choice to come here and do a PG year. For me, it’s the people here. Yes, it’s a grind every day, but and you’re around most of the same people, which is sometimes tough if you don’t like those people, but to have teammates that I love playing with every day, love being around every day, teachers who are really supportive who care about you and coaches as well, and all the staff and even the hockey guys and ski people. So, I love the people here, and I think that’s really helped me coming here.”
As told to Cedric Lemaire ’25. Photo by Mr. Michael Aldridge.
