Personal Statement

My name is Ben Taylor and I am a junior at Bozeman High School in Bozeman, Montana. Soccer has been an important part of my life since I was 4-years-old and my goal has always been to play at the college level. I was the only freshman to play varsity at Bozeman High, a school of more than 2,000 students, where our boy's soccer team has won the state championship three out of the past four years. Last spring, I tried out, and was selected, for a spot on the Chicago Galaxy premier team in Naperville, Illinois. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to transfer schools mid-year without losing AP credit so I was unable to join that team but I hope to have another opportunity to play with a bigger club. As a 4.0 student, I am interested in a college experience that will offer me very strong academics as well as a competitive soccer environment.

I have been able to benefit from playing soccer in many different places with players and coaches I did not know. During the fall of 2013, my family took a sabbatical trip to Ghana, where, as a 13-year-old, I played club soccer with boys aged 15-19. In the summer of 2014 I attended a residential camp in Manchester, UK, where I again played with older teammates. At that camp I received the ‘Jonny Evans’ award for the strongest defender in my group. In addition to these experiences, I have attended several college summer camps as well as Region IV ODP regional camp in McMinnville, OR. I believe these opportunities have provided me the confidence to be able to play with unfamiliar teammates and coaches.  Because of this I am certain that I would be able to adapt to and make a positive impact within a college program.

In addition to soccer, I have had personal experiences that I believe will be valuable as both a college student and teammate.  After being nominated by my teachers, I attended Junior National Young Leaders Conferences in both Washington D.C. and Los Angeles, CA. These experiences provided me with leadership skills that have been incredibly helpful both on and off the field.  I also was elected, by high school classmates, to serve as one of fewer than 10 representatives (in our class of 548 students) to the Leadership Initiative Program at Bozeman High. In addition, I was selected, by school faculty, to serve as a peer mediator for both my middle and high schools. These school programs have provided ongoing training in leadership approaches and dispute resolution techniques which I have been able to apply in sports as well as in school.

I am a determined and disciplined player and I’m consistently evaluated as technically and tactically very strong as well as very coachable. I am looking forward to finding a school whose soccer and academic programs will fit me well.