Name: Gunhvir Singh
Team: B01/02 NL Black
Number of Years at Copa: 4
HS: Wardlaw-Hartridge
HS Honors: All-Area, Honor Roll, High Honor Roll
Coaches at Copa: Andrew Santos, Billy Englishby
College Attending: King’s College
Conference: Middle Atlantic States Collegiate Athletic Conference
Anticipated Major: Mechanical Engineering
Quote about a specific coach:
I played center defensive midfield for most of my life. Coach Andrew helped me develop into a confident and strong center back. He trusted me to be in the back line and lead it, which helped me be the player I am today.
What are your most memorable moments or experiences at FC Copa Academy?
Going to Florida for Disney was memorable for me because my team and I were able to go to a prestigious tournament and place among such high competition. We were also state cup semi-finalist, but the road to the semi-finals was the memorable part. In the quarter finals we only had 11 players due to injury and other complications, but we ended up winning at the last kick of the game after making an insane 2 goal comeback.
How did FC Copa Academy help you become the player you are today?
FC Copa Academy helped me become the player I am today by providing me with the best possible coaching and support a club can give. The opportunity to play at tournaments and against high quality players helped me be the best player I can be.
How did FC Copa Academy help you get into the college program you will be attending?
FC Copa Academy provided an outlet for me to be able to reach out to the college coaches and connect with them. Playing at high level tournaments intrigued them to come see me play and I was able to display my game to them.
Share your thoughts and experiences on the collegiate recruitment process with FC Copa.
It was a bit tiring, but well worth it. My coaches were on me to send my college emails out before every college showcase or tournament because they wanted all the looks I can get. Every time I got an email back from a college coach it just motivated me to work harder and perform even better at the tournaments.
What advice would you give to future FC Copa Academy athletes going through the collegiate recruitment process?
Don’t give up. It was a long and hard journey, but the more you work the more success you will find. Don’t be discouraged if colleges don’t approach you from the start. Take that as fuel to help you work harder and prove all of those coaches that did not come see you play wrong. At the end of the day, you will find a coach that loves you and the way you play and once he or she does come around you will realize all of your hard work and dedicated was worth it.