This past summer, Ethan Blakely, a nine-year member of our club, was named team captain of the Moravian College men’s soccer team as a junior.
Ethan, from Pequannock High School, began his club soccer career with us in 2011 playing for coach Dan Wagstaff. FCUSA New Jersey was originally formed in 2010 as Everton FC, a partnership between Everton FC and UK Elite. Ethan played three years under the Everton FC badge, then transitioned to the FCNJ ’99 team during his high school years, led by coach Brendan Doyle.
Over his soccer career, Ethan has been a standout player in many positions. Early on, he featured as a defensive center midfielder with superior athletic ability. Now in college, Ethan mainly plays as a left-winger showcasing his tremendous work rate up and down the field.
What stands out about Ethan’s personality is that he is not your traditional vocal leader. He has a calmness to him, however, on the field, he is a fierce competitor. In the classroom, he is a standout student majoring in biochemistry.
Ethan was discovered by the Moravian College coaching staff while playing at the PA Classics Boys Winter Showcase. The funny part is, the Moravian coaches were scouting a player on Ethan’s team when jersey number 22 caught their eye.
As a college freshman, Moravian missed the Landmark Conference playoffs by one game. Last year, in Ethan’s sophomore season, the team qualified for Landmark Conference playoffs for the first time in school history!
During the past offseason, Ethan was selected by his teammates and coaches to become this year’s team captain. Click here for press release
We had the chance to sit down with Ethan after his game versus Montclair State University to hear about being selected as a team captain and how his club soccer experience molded his character.
We asked Ethan why his teammates and coaches select him to be a team captain, “It was because of my leadership during the offseason. The weight-lifting sessions, organizing pickup games, communicating messages to the players from the coaches, and because I will be one of the most experienced players on the field this season.”
Ethan attributed his club soccer experience to his current leadership style, “The coaching staff at FCUSA never yelled. They built confidence in us. That is something I have tried to emulate as a leader of my college team this year.”
“Over the years, soccer has taught me time management skills that allow me to stay organized between the demanding academic workload and my soccer obligations,” said Ethan.
Since graduating high school, Ethan has returned each summer to volunteer with Pequannock’s high school soccer preseason preparations. He was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, is a lifeguard and a diehard Liverpool supporter.
Ethan Blakely is an impressive example of demonstrating FCUSA’s core values of teamwork, respect, integrity, and commitment. We look forward to keeping an eye on him during his promising future on and off the soccer field.
