Junior Matthew Helfrich’s passion for soccer started young.

“I’ve been playing soccer since I was two years old, and started playing organized soccer when I was six years old,” junior Matthew Helfrich said.

Helfrich doesn’t play on the McLean soccer team, but recently committed to Georgetown University to play at the collegiate level, even though he still has one more year of high school left. The sport has become such an integral part of his life that he credits many of his personal values to playing.

“Soccer has taught me how to work hard for things, how to earn them, and have good discipline,” Helfrich said. “[It] has helped me become a better person, not just on the field, but also off the field, like with my grades for school.”

Helfrich currently plays for an extracurricular team in Maryland that runs year-round, part of an advanced private league operated by Major League Soccer. School teams generally just play for a season.

“The team I play for now is Bethesda [Soccer Club], a team in Maryland,” Helfrich said. “It’s made me feel a lot better about the sport because I get to play against the highest competition week-in and week-out all across the country.”

Through MLS Next, Helfrich’s coach and team have helped Helfrich fine-tune the skills necessary for him to become an adept player.

“[Through coaching Matthew], I have seen [him] progress as a player, but also as a person,” said Derek Bliss, coach of the Bethesda Soccer Club. “Playing in the MLS Next League provides Matthew the opportunity to showcase himself against the best teams in the country. With the focus on training as opposed to games, he can focus on finer details.”

Helfrich also comes from a family with experience playing competitive soccer, which has helped fuel his passion and develop new skills.

“My dad played soccer in college, so he’s guided me along the way and helped me improve as a player,” Helfrich said. “From when I was a little kid to even now, he still helps me a lot.”

Even though he still has his senior year, Helfrich is now looking to the future and his commitment to Georgetown.

“I’m really excited about it since [Georgetown’s] program is really good and competitive, and can definitely help me improve,” Helfrich said. “[Even with my commitment,] I haven’t changed my mindset because I feel like it’s important to keep working hard to improve.”

Helfrich also hopes to pursue soccer as a career after attending Georgetown.

“Playing soccer professionally is definitely my goal,” Helfrich said. “It’s gonna take a lot of hard work, and I’m not anywhere near that yet, but it’s the goal. I’m working towards it with all the work I put in.”

Helfrich’s family is encouraging him to potentially seek a position on a professional team, but they still want him to pursue academics in college.

“Professional soccer for Americans is far more realistic and accessible than at any point in our history, and that applies both for teams in the U.S. and overseas,” said Dan Helfrich, Matthew’s father. “If Matthew sets that as a goal, it is an entirely realistic one. But a degree that provides options outside the sport is extremely important.”

Helfrich agrees; he believes athletics are important, but performing well academically should remain equally prioritized.

“My biggest advice would be to just keep your head down and keep working hard,” he said. “Don’t slack off, and just because you’re playing a sport doesn’t mean you should slack academically because academics are just as important. After all, you can’t play sports forever.”