Walker Zimmerman played in an international tournament for US Soccer, Under-20 Division over the summer. / Donna Isbell Walker/Staff
Walker Zimmerman sees soccer as much more than a sport.
And the 19-year-old Furman sophomore plans to use his skills on the field as a tool to motivate young people.
The Atlanta native, who began playing soccer at age 4, has plenty to share. Zimmerman is on Furman’s team for the second year, and earlier in the summer played in the Northern Ireland Milk Cup international tournament as part of the US Soccer national team, Under-20 division.
Soccer is just one career goal for Zimmerman, who’s majoring in communications.
“I want to gain a platform through that to do public speaking and motivational speaking, at different churches or youth camps,” says Zimmerman, relaxing in the campus coffee shop. “My background is, I grew up in a Christian home. I feel like my passion and my purpose is beyond just soccer. I feel like I can use soccer as a platform to reach a lot of people, and I feel like I’ve been given an ability to communicate with younger students and help them realize their passion and purpose in life.”
Zimmerman has long known his own career goals. He fell in love with the soccer early on, playing for the Gwinnett Soccer Association in Lilburn, Ga., and that proved to be a springboard to playing for USA Soccer’s youth division.
Along about eighth grade, “I realized I had to choose one sport. I played soccer, basketball and baseball, and that was when I first got called in with the national team in Under-14 and realized that this was the sport I loved and could succeed at the most.”
That’s when a US Soccer scout saw him play and invited him to a training camp. Zimmerman has been with the USA team for several seasons since then. And next year, there’s the prospect of something even more exciting.
“Ultimately, the goal is to compete in the U-20 World Cup, (for) which qualifying begins next February.”
Unlike the World Cup itself, the U-20 World Cup is held every two years, and Turkey will be next year’s site.
Competing on the national team is inspiring, he says, because it encourages players to step up their game.
“You definitely improve when you’re at those camps, playing at that level. It’s a lot quicker, a lot faster, and the competition is at a higher level than what we’re used to here.”
That sense of competition, and camaraderie of working together as a team, are some of Zimmerman’s favorite things about soccer.
This is Zimmerman’s second year on Furman’s soccer team, but it’s been easy to blend his obligations to both teams, thanks to Coach Doug Allison’s willingness to work with him on scheduling, Zimmerman says.
Furman’s soccer team “is like a family. It’s a very home environment that’s created by the coaches and the players,” Zimmerman says.
The game has been a major force in Zimmerman’s own development, offering plenty of life lessons, he says.
Soccer “teaches you how to get along well with others. It teaches you how to overcome adversity. If your team is down or loses a game, how to respond in the next game. For me, it’s helped me learn to lead effectively in the different situations that come across in every game.”
And those are some of the things he plans to impart to young people in his motivational speaking. Zimmerman says he also tries to encourage them to follow their dreams.
“I try and let them know that whatever it is they do, just do it with all your heart and mind and strength and you can accomplish a lot if you put your mind to it,” he says.
Faith is also important to Zimmerman, whose father was a Baptist minister for 21 years and now works with Church Resource Ministries. Having that strong foundation helps Zimmerman remember his ultimate goals during the ups and downs of college life.
“I’ve known what my goal has been for a long time, and I know what I have to do to achieve those goals,” Zimmerman says. “For me, it’s just managing my time wisely and then just walking a straight line and a consistent path, and that will take me where I want to go.”
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Let Atlanta know what you think