Matthew Davies

Matthew Davies will continue his soccer and academic career at Greenville this fall, pursuing a major in business or economics and competing on the Division III field. He began playing at a young age.

“My first season was [with] a rec-league soccer team,” Davies wrote in an email. “I was probably in kindergarten, but I loved it. I became quite competitive and decided to play travel soccer the next year. This was a huge commitment, but I credit this decision as the reason for me being where I am today.”

A member of the ETHS varsity team and FC Lakeshore, Davies has played on the same club since the beginning and values the commitment and connections the program has given him. His perseverance was put to the test in April of 2022 after a high ankle sprain put him out of commission for four months of his junior year.

“I managed to do enough damage to my ligaments that I essentially had to learn to walk again,” he wrote. “It took me a long time but I eventually built up the strength to play again. I’ve always believed that hard work does pay off and this was a great example for me. The feeling I had getting back out [on the field] is one that is hard to describe with words. I had accomplished something that took months of time and pain, and I’m not sure anything will ever live up to that.”

Looking towards the future, Davies is excited for the small class sizes and focused instruction of Greenville but anticipates a tough transition into the rigorous college athlete’s schedule. Luckily, due to the time he’s spent with the team, he feels a “sense of belonging” already.

“I’m going to have to train with the team every day, which will present a challenge for time management,” Davies wrote. “I was given some confidence by seeing how close the soccer team was with each other during my stay with them. The upperclassmen were very quick to help the younger students with their schoolwork and it is clear to me that the entire team spends a lot of time together.”