Eric Gilbert of Deerfield, IL is an avid sports fan, with soccer ranking first. A soccer player all his life, the young man has shown incredible talent on the field to be named team Captain in high school and to the “starting 11” in college. Along the way, he’s earned impressive individual and team honors, many of which he attributes to hard work and dedication to being the best. Even without the prototypical physical size that coaches love, Eric Gilbert’s passion for the game has been more than enough to make him a standout player and teammate.

The love of soccer permeates through Eric’s veins, and he looks forward to a future working in sports, as either a marketer, sports writer or soccer coach for a college team or professional club. Younger soccer players in his Deerfield neighborhood seek him out for advice on playing and technique.

Having played soccer for so long, Eric Gilbert of Deerfield, IL has come to appreciate the sport for some of the unique benefits it has provided him. Playing with peers, from varying backgrounds, enabled him to learn about others’ cultures, socialize and build friendships that lasted for years. At all levels of soccer he has participated in, Eric can proudly attest to having enjoyed memorable times with friends.

Soccer is a physically intensive activity, with the players often enjoying great health and fitness benefits for a lifetime. For Eric, playing soccer enabled him develop his physical and mental capabilities. The hard work he displayed on the field was replicated academically as well, earning him Dean’s Honor recognition at Illinois Wesleyan University.

“I made the epiphany that my athletic [ability] and academics were in direct relation,” he says. “My junior year, (the year I played for FC Milwaukee), I received the highest marks that I had all of high school.”
Playing soccer also allowed Eric Gilbert of Deerfield, IL to hone his leadership skills. Players often need someone to guide them in the right direction; for every team he played on, Eric Gilbert demonstrated leadership.