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FORWARD / MIDFIELDER
HT: 5’6”
WT: 125
Born: 05.29.1992 in Virginia Beach, Va.
Hometown: Virginia Beach, Va.
Qualifying Condition: Cerebral Palsy
Classification: CP7

COACH HOFFMAN SAYS:
"Adam's youth is not an indication of his soccer experience. A dedicated player to the game he possesses an attacking mentality. He is both tactically astute and skillful, creating for us another option in the attack. His athleticism and passion for the game serve him well, generating a work ethic needed to compete at the international level."

Q & A with ADAM

When did you first begin playing soccer? When I was three years old.

How did you join the U.S. Paralympic Team? Coach Chris Michaels told Coach Hoffman about me, he came and watched me play sand soccer then recruited me.

What is your most memorable moment with the team? It was my first time I was with the team, at my first camp when we were training at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California. My most memorable moment to date is when I met Abby Wambach and the rest of the U.S. Women's National Team, and train with the Under-23 Women's National Team.

Who was your first soccer coach? My first coach was my dad. He is the person who really got me excited about playing soccer!

What do you feel is your strength as a player? I think my strength as a player is my ability to read to the field, and to make the pass that can open up the defense and change a game.

What do you feel is your weakness as a player? I think my weakness as a player would be my left foot, which I constantly try to work with in shooting and passing. Other than that my agility is also something that I would benefit greatly, if I were to work on. One last thing in my game that is a hamper, other than my disability, is my size. Since I am almost 17 and am only 5'6" that is one aspect of my game that something I have to cope with, but my height is not something I have control of, so I just leave that up to God and how He wants me to develop as a person, and grow as a player.

Which professional or international soccer player is your role model? I look up to many professional players, but if I would have to narrow it down to one person, I would say Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona, because he is a greatly skilled and technical player who gives his all, and fights for his team every time he steps on the field to represent his club or country.

What have you learned about yourself from your time with the team? I have learned that we all have things that don't go our way in life; there are ups and downs in all parts of our lives. Since I have Cerebral Palsy, most would think that it would be horrible. But the truth is that I have learned to adapt with it. One of the great things that have come out of having CP is definitely the Paralympic team. It is such a great opportunity to travel to new places and meet new people, all the while trying to do my best to be an Ambassador for Christ along this journey that He has laid out for me.

What would you tell a young player to motivate them to play the game of soccer? I would say that no matter how big or little the obstacle in life, that there are always good things to come in the future. Soccer is an amazing game that allows us to showcase our skills and talents individually and collectively as a team, and over all it is just really fun to play.

How has playing with the team positively affected your life? Playing has given me great joy on and off the field. The Paralympic team has given me great things to look forward to in the future, and a wealth of opportunities. I love the travel and the great training that I am able to be a part of now, which I would never have had the opportunities to do otherwise.

Which college are you attending, or graduated, if any? Still in high school.

Since the team is not a full-time job, what do you do full-time? I am currently a sophomore at Norfolk Christian School and that is basically my job at the moment. I still live with my family, and when I graduate high school, I plan to study engineering at Virginia Tech, possibly.

What is your goal in life? What dreams do you have? What do you want to attain in life? Things have come up in my life, and other things have become apparent. First off I want to strive to live my life for Jesus Christ and let him lead my life in the direction that He wants for me. My goal is to graduate from college with an engineering degree and go on to raise a family. I will do my best to play soccer for as long as long as God permits and I will train and try my hardest to set reasonable goals with this in mind.

If you had enough money to do whatever you wanted to the rest of your life, what would you spend your time doing? If I had enough money to do what I pleased, I would start off by helping my family and make sure my parents and my three sisters were taken care of. If I was lucky enough to have this, then I would love to have the opportunity to travel to places like England, and watch the Red Devils play, then I would go visit Barcelona and then I would go check out Sicily, Italy where my family came from, and learn more about my heritage. Hopefully also have the courage through out my career to share the gospel of Jesus Christ to all who need to hear and to spread His good news that He has for us.

Which person has been the most influential and motivational in your life? If I were to break it down, I do not have a most influential person in my life. I would say that I have been fortunate enough to have many people who have supported me throughout my journey. It started with my parents, doing all they could after I was diagnosed with CP. They were the greatest I think I could ask for in parents trying to teach me and help me to develop to be as normal I possible. They got me to see the right doctors and people I needed to see in the early years of my life. Then as I was elementary age I can remember them taking me to physical therapy many times a week so that my left side would perform the best it could. So they were great in that aspect. Next would probably be Chris Michaels, who was my soccer coach from when I was thirteen, until just last year. He played a pretty huge role in me getting to where I am now, When I first joined his team, I as thinking about not playing any more because I had had a bad experience with a past coach/team, but when I joined his team, The Panthers, I felt that I was appreciated and I felt like I had something to offer the team. Chris is also one of the biggest reasons that I am a part of the Paralympic team, because I played for his travel team, and at that time he was helping out with the Mariners, a semi-pro team in Va. Bch. It just so happened that Coach Hoffman, was the coach of the Mariners, and had talked to Chris about the Para team, and the rest was history, that February would be my first training camp with the team at the age of 14.

Who is(are) your role model(s) outside of soccer? I would probably say My parents, John and Melissa, because they work so hard, and give so much to make sure that my sisters and I have a great life.

Who was your favorite teacher in school and why? Mr. Baumgardner is one of my favorite teachers, because he is such a Godly man. He is a servant for Christ and he displays that in ever aspect of his life.

What are some obstacles you've encountered in your life and how did you overcome them? There have been many obstacles in my life, and CP probably being one of the biggest, because I only have partial use of my left hand, and I walk with a limp in my left foot. So it makes it difficult to do things like buttoning dress shirts and catching a ball with my left hand, different things that others can do without question. I have learned ways to do things with my right hand that helps compensate for the lack of mobility that my left hand has, so I guess over all I get by just fine.

Can you share a little bit about your family? Brothers, sisters? I have three sisters and no brothers. Two of them are younger, and one is older. My older sister Kelsey, is a senior in HS. Next is Haley who is 13 and in the 7th grade, and after that is Courtney who is in the 6th grade. My oldest sister goes to Salem High School, and my two little sisters and I go to Norfolk Christian.

Of all the places you have traveled or lived, where is your favorite place? I haven't traveled too much, and the only place I have lived is in Virginia Beach. I definitely have to say that San Diego, California is a very beautiful place, and I am very privileged to be able to train there with the Paralympic team.

If you could turn back time and change one decision in your past, what would it be? As of right know I don't regret too many things that I have done in my life, but definitely one thing that has impacted my life pretty drastically in the last few months is making the mistake of going in one of my team mates phones, thus getting in trouble with my team, which in turn did not allow me to travel to Holland with the team which has been pretty depressing for me lately.

If we were casting the movie of your life, which actor would you pick to play you? I would pick Michael Weatherly from my favorite show, NCIS to be me.

If you could have one superhero power, what would it be? The one power I would love to have would have to be the ability to fly. Because then I would not have to sit in traffic, or even waste time going places &so yeah flying would be sweet!

Do you play any musical instruments? I do not anymore, but I used to play the trumpet back in the 6th and 7th grade.

If you had to choose only ten CDs to listen to for the next three years, what would they be? I don't really have favorite genre of music, I listen to everything from rock, to rap to pop, and country. I just enjoy music and do not have a favorite group or type,

Are you artistic? I am not artistic at all, as far as drawing and painting goes, I don't have any skills. Although in the past year I have taken up photography as a hobby. I enjoy taking and editing my photos in Adobe Photoshop. Graphic design is another artistic thing that interests me, even though I am new at it, I find it interesting.

Who is your favorite artist, or favorite type of art? Do you have a favorite work of art? I do not know too much about art, but my favorite artist is M.C. Escher because of his unique and exquisite work.

What would you tell someone so that they had a better understanding of your disability and what it means to you? Basically I tell them I have Cerebral Palsy and that that my left hand doesn't work completely properly. Also people think that I am hurt because I limp, but people at school are understanding, and cool. I even make palsy jokes with them and they ask me questions about it if they have any. I like being open with people about it because it makes me more comfortable, and gives others a better understanding.

What is your favorite quotation? "No one can come to the Father except through Me." - Jesus talking about how to get saved and have eternal life with Christ in Heaven.

Of which accomplishments in your life (excluding soccer) are you most proud? I would say one of the things I am most proud of is my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and how He has been there with me through the good times, and the not so good times in my life. Another personal accomplishment I am proud of is how well I have done in school. Over all I am a bright kid ... I think. Lol but I have gotten high honors a few times and I am pretty much all the time on the honor role list.

Please share anything else about yourself that wasn't covered above. I just thank the Lord for this wonderful opportunity that he has presented me with, being associated with this team, and I hope and pray that I will gain knowledge throughout my time with this team, and that we can do well in the years to come and go places!!!