Kareem Almadani (‘27) has played soccer competitively for seven years. He started out on MPSA Crush for three years then moved on to the Michigan Tigers in 2019, where he has played ever since. “They helped me improve tactically and improved my performance on the ball as well as changing my field knowledge,” says Almadani. When it comes to a big inspiration on the team he says, “Bailey my goalkeeper is my biggest motivation to stay strong and believe in myself on the field.”

The Michigan Tigers are a part of the Elite 64, a national league of elite soccer clubs, and one of the best youth soccer clubs in Michigan. “Playing for the Tigers…allowed me to find certain areas with flaws to fix like playing faster and using more communication,” says Almadani.    

Benjamin Zampi (‘27) is a hardworking right back who makes runs along the sidelines by overlapping their wingers. When playing that position, Zampi says, “first I like to get really organized and make sure when I get the ball or if I miss, there are options for what happens next and the situation can be dealt with. I also love to really apply pressure and go for a tackle. If successful it really gets them off their feet for the whole game and they play a lot less risky which is good material for a defender.” 

Zampi has played at Liverpool for two years then moved to the Tigers for five. “My dad played varsity soccer when he was in high school and even though he never got much playing time, he always went out and tried to make a difference while playing as hard as he could.”

Patrick Sawyer (‘27) plays center, attacking midfield for Skyline. Sawyer first started playing soccer at 6 years old for Rec and Ed. “I’d say my most memorable goal was with Rec and Ed because it was when I first started to improve my skills.” 

Skyline soccer has many seniors on the team that team relationships can be intimidating, Sawyer says, “My relationships on the field are very important because if you don’t have a good relationship with your teammates, you’re going to argue a lot and you’re never going to win.” 

Benjamin Pawlowski (‘27) says that he has used Skyline soccer as a training experience to go to his dream school. “I would love to go to Duke because they have the best soccer program in the country.” 

As a young athlete, Pawlowski trains in and out of practice to stay in shape. “I try to stretch every day and use small touches on the ball to form muscle memory.” 

While also playing for the Michigan Tigers for six years, Ben has been perfecting his skills to play for varsity. “I started playing rec and ed for five years which helped me discover my passion for soccer, then I moved to the Tigers.” 

When it comes to inspiration, Pawlowski says, “My cousin is the reason I started playing soccer and I’ve always wanted to be just like him.”