Unlike the typical high school student who spends their evenings doing homework, Nolan Wong is out on the pitch playing soccer for the San Carlos United Soccer Club or the Carlmont soccer team.
Wong has been playing soccer since the age of five and greatly enjoys the sport. For him, soccer is a time to clear his mind from school, hang out with his friends, and have fun doing the sport he loves.
“It’s all team-based so you can’t only rely on yourself to be good. You have to be able to work together with your team and adapt,” Wong said.
At San Carlos United, Wong’s week consists of three practices, each following a similar structure. Practice begins with a warm-up, then moves on to possession drills, and ends with small-sided games that focus on shooting. Every day is an opportunity for Wong to get stronger, and he takes advantage of this by working hard.
“He is a hard worker. Every time I look over at him, it looks like he is always trying his hardest,” said Justin Dehoff, a senior on Wong’s club team.
Ryan Freeman, Wong’s club team coach, is also the head coach for the Carlmont soccer program. Freeman saw Wong’s skills early on and had his eyes on him from the start. During high school tryouts last year, Wong stood out from everyone else.
“I mean, he was a freshman, and from the start, you could see he had drive. He obviously wanted to push himself. And even the second he was hopping into varsity tryouts, kind of the same thing. So he always had that mentality,” Freeman said.
Throughout the season, Freeman saw Wong’s skills improve rapidly.
“He’s come a really long way in that sense of the mentality of it. His game seems like he’s older than he is, not just from a physical and technical perspective, but from a mental and physiological perspective,” Freeman said.
Although soccer is a big part of Wong’s life, being a student-athlete means putting in the work and hours for school as well. With practice at night, Wong has to finish all of his homework before, which can be a challenge sometimes.
“Often, balancing schoolwork and soccer can prove to be a struggle. As I’ve grown older, I learned to develop time management skills,” Wong said.
Regardless of this busy lifestyle, Wong strives to succeed and gives his best every day, whether it’s in school or on the field. He continues to train hard, excited for what’s to come for his soccer career.
