My name is Blake Mathews. I am 19 years old and if you’re yet to notice, I’m infatuated with the game of soccer. Since I was 4 I’d had a ball at my feet, which in turn has made immeasurable impacts on my life. Thanks to my mom, I’ve been able to travel all across the states for soccer, along the way making unbreakable friendships and bonds with my coaches and peers. I was lucky enough to grow up in Fort Collins, a small suburb of Colorado, which offered multiple high level “club” teams with well-accredited coaches. Subsequent to that, my career began in U11, at a local club called Arsenal. That was my first exposure to a competitive league, and I continued to develop with the club for 2 years before switching to Storm. At Colorado Storm, there were a number of British coaches, such as Phil Cooper and Craig Deacon, that had played and coached in England for almost the entirety of their lives. Not limited to these 2, I was able to learn countless skills, concepts, and tactics thanks to the professionalism of the club. Next in line was ODP (Olympic development program). I was chosen to represent the state of Colorado’s youth team, as well as region iv’s, which was comprised of over 10 states. At this time I was 14, and I began to recognize that I had talent that I should NOT waste. I continued to work day in and day out on my craft, resulting in a 4-year varsity starting spot for my high school. I continued to bounce around from club to club in Colorado, and then received college offers across the country. But since LCCC was a decent program, was close to home, and incredibly affordable, I made my decision, which I could not be happier with. Although we had a difficult and unrewarding freshmen year, this year promised a lot, and was undoubtedly the best season I’d ever had in my life. I’ve created bonds of brotherhood with my teammates, laughed hysterically, and most importantly; had fun.