October’s Senior Spotlight: Patrick Lawson

Steven Kaye
Staff Writer

Patrick Lawson has done virtually everything in the world of amateur soccer, yet, he remains very modest about his accomplishments. He has played on the third ranked club team in the nation, played at the Disney Showcase and has trained with some of the best soccer clubs in the English Premier League: Arsenal F.C. and Chelsea F.C. Yet, right now, Lawson’s focus is on Harriton soccer, a team that he leads as a senior, their captain and their star forward.
“The team is doing not badly this season,” Lawson said regarding his team, which has been playing well this season. “We lost a lot of seniors in last year’s class and we are trying to simply move in a positive direction.”
Lawson has had a phenomenal high school career, and coupled with numerous academic achievements, is being recruited by many top colleges and universities. One such school is Johns Hopkins University, not only one of the premier academic institutions in America but also a Division III soccer powerhouse. The Blue Jays won the Centennial Conference championship three out of the last four years, and are poised to do so again this year, looking strong out of the gate with a 10-2 record. While Pat made it clear that nothing is guaranteed in his quest to study at Johns Hopkins, it appears that his chances are high. When Pat was asked about the process of being recruited to play college sports, he discussed the laborious process
“I am on a club team that travels around to many tournaments,” Pat explained. “After one tournament, the [Johns Hopkins] coach expressed interest and because of that I visited the school. I really enjoyed my visit and after that, I sent the coach my grades, who then passed them on to an admissions officer. The coach got back to me three weeks or so into the summer and told me that the Early-Read went well, which means, that as a recruit, if my grades stay the same, I should
get in.”
Lawson remains optimistic about his chances. Pat is not only a fantastic soccer player and a great team leader, he is also a diligent student. He has worked hard through high school and that has lead him to where he is today; his prominent positions include captain of the varsity soccer team, member of a nationally recognized club soccer team and, hopefully, soon, a scholar and a collegiate athlete at one of the top secondary schools in the country.