CVHS Junior Accepts Soccer Scholarship to UC Berkeley

In the fall of 2013, the soccer fields of UC Berkeley will welcome Castro Valley High School’s very own Nick Lima as the newest member of the Golden Bears nationally ranked team.

Having recently accepted a full scholarship to the prestigious University of California, Nick Lima now has two more years of high school ahead of him to sharpen his skills and set goals for future achievement.

We sat down late last week at Starbucks to discuss the path that led Nick to making a tough choice between three excellent schools, and the opportunities he has enjoyed as an outstanding athlete, and those that await him.

I was a bit surprised to find Nick wearing a Stanford tank top and lanyard when he arrived a few minutes ahead of our scheduled appointment. “I’ve always liked Stanford. That’s been my favorite school for a long time,” Nick announced when I asked him why he was sporting enemy gear. “You realize they’re Cal’s rivals? That might not work out so well when you start practicing at Cal.”

Things like that, it seems, don’t bother Nick much. He’s not busy watching soccer or getting distracted by rivalries. Lima’s too busy playing soccer—not watching it—all the while exploring the scholastic and athletic opportunities he will enjoy at the school of his choice as he has embraced the gift he has been given physically to perform at a level that comes with such unique opportunities. He doesn’t seem overwhelmed by it all. In fact, Nick is downright humble, open and honest.

Above all things, Nick is focused. We skipped ordering anything and got straight into our conversation. Nick was on his way from football practice where he has been making news as the secret weapon on the Trojans football team. Naturally, Nick is the kicker, and in last weekend’s season-opening loss, 47-21, to Monte Vista, Lima was credited with two field goals and booming kick-offs.

To understand the road Nick has traveled, you need to go back to the beginning. Like many youngsters starting school, Nick got involved with the Castro Valley Youth Soccer League. His father coached the first team Nick played for. “We were called the Hotshots. Dad coached with my friends. It was fun. I liked running around.  I got it fast. Another one of my friends and me—we scored every goal.

“I played for CV, but we weren’t that good. One of my friends played for a competitive team in Pleasanton called Ballistic. The coaches saw me scrimmage with the team after their game and invited me to try out.”

Ballistic United is a storied program out of San Ramon that traces its roots back to the late 1960s. Playing for such a decorated, competitive team provided new challenges for Lima. “I was still 10-years old at the time, in 4^th and 5^th grade. The mentality was different. Everybody tried harder. I was always a very competitive. I played goalie the first half. Whenever he needed a goal in the second half, he put me at forward.

“There were teams from Danville, Walnut Creek, Richmond, and Diablo, teams from all around there. We were always second to Danville.”

Nick continued, “The coach at the Mustang Academy in Danville liked me, so I talked to him. Eventually, I went to play for them. Ballistic started falling apart. Coach moved to Oregon and a new staff took over Mustang. Hugh Kinnear was the head coach. 

“I liked Hugh a lot. I pretty much grew up with him as my coach. His brother is the head coach of the Houston Dynamo, Dominic Kinnear. That’s when I went from mediocre player and became the player that I started to become. He used to take me to practice and we used to hang out. I had so many good players around me and I improved. That’s where it started.”

Once Nick started playing for Mustang, he found the intensity level increased dramatically. These were the best players from Division I. “It was a lot faster, quicker, and there were bigger guys, too.  The coach was a guy named Chris Gilmore.  Gilmore’s pace was quicker.

“I started every game. I got to play with U-18 team a couple of times because I was doing well.  Otherwise, I played up top as forward. “

Ultimately, Nick left the team and went to De Anza. “They had a different idea about how the game should be played. I always got along with the De Anza Club and so they had a spot for me at forward.”

As you can see, Nick has always been drawn to the challenge. He is smart when it comes to making the most out of an opportunity. He recognizes the opportunity as a chance to improve his craft and enjoys learning from others.

“I ended up playing Celtic with the De Anza team because it was Division I; not an Academy. We played them one time and we killed’em, like 4-1 or something. When I was on Mustang we were always rivals with De Anza and we’d win on and off. That’s how they knew me.

“I came to find out that my former Coach Gilmore was working with the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer. One of the Earthquakes’ coaches told me that it’d be a lot better for me to join the Earthquakes Academy and that they wanted me on the team, and not to worry about trying out. We practiced in Danville three days a week and then once a week in San Jose.

“There are 60 academies throughout the nation. There’s the SJ Earthquakes. There’s De Anza, Santa Cruz, Odyssey (Fresno) and CDA (California Development Academy) in Sacramento. We had the Seattle Sounders and Crossfire from Washington. And now there’s the Portland Timbers. If your team is at the top of the league you can play against the best teams from around the nation.

“There were showcases in Phoenix and Texas. Every academy from the nation goes to play against one another. Every college coach goes there to scout talent and that’s where I was seen by Cal. Since I was local, they’d see me play other local teams.

As Nick developed his game with the San Jose Earthquakes Academy, he was met with a couple of unique opportunities. “I was playing well on the Earthquakes. I was 16 when I started with the U-18 team. They were talking with the top guys on the pro team Earthquakes. They were going to England and wanted to bring a couple of the younger guys. I got to go with three other guys from the U-18 team to train in England with the Earthquakes and the Tottenham Academy.” That would be Tottenham of the English Premier League, one of the world’s best professional football organizations.

“Everything they do is so amazing. They know what to do five plays before they have the ball. They are good. They grow up playing. “

What did you learn about your game from the U-18 players at Tottenham’s academy?

“It taught me how fast the game needs to be played, transitioning. I have to anticipate and think ahead. They gave us tips. I noticed that their upper bodies were scrawny, but their lower bodies are huge. They are mentally tough, too.”

Perhaps the highlight of the trip was a chance meeting with global superstar and soccer legend David Beckham. “He was on Tottenham and was going back to the LA Galaxy the day after we saw him. He was at the training grounds signing papers or something to get out of there. We were sitting down on a bench right outside the eating room where the players eat. He happened to walk by and asked if we were the kids from America training with the U-18 team. That was cool.”

Like most things that would probably overwhelm the average Joe, Nick handled the situation as only he could. “He was on my right. I was really tired. I was like, ‘Who is this guy?’  He was actually a pretty cool guy.”

It might be easy to get the impression that maybe he doesn’t make such a big deal out of meeting someone like David Beckham, a guy that fans would do just about anything to get an autograph from or do just about anything to meet him. However, Nick’s ability to use his talents and put himself in a position to be at a place where meeting guys like David Beckham is an everyday occurrence is precisely why it was not such a big deal.

Back in the states, the colleges started taking notice. “At first, my coaches told me that Cal was looking at me. So was Stanford. I like Stanford. I went on an unofficial visit there. I wanted to visit the campus. I heard that Cal was also looking at me. I didn’t know anything about it. Also, the University of Santa Barbara was looking at me.

“At one point, I went to the showcases where Cal, Stanford, and UCSB saw me. Over the summer I went to a Stanford camp. I also went to a Cal camp. I went on an unofficial visit to Cal. I also did it for UCSB.

“Cal offered me a scholarship after their camp in the summer, but I hadn’t really talked to UCSB yet. I visited the UCSB campus and at one point I was leaning toward UCSB. They get like 7,000 fans for soccer games. Soccer’s huge there and they’re good, too. That was a big factor. Everybody’s into it.”

Not the wishy-washy type, Nick knew he had to make a decision and at a certain point, despite his love of Stanford and the tantalizing crowds at UCSB, the top-notch education and highly ranked Bears soccer team sealed the deal.

“I liked Cal because their coaching staff is good, and it’s my kind of play. They’re getting new facilities. It’s a great education. I was also looking for a good education. UCSB is a good education, too. But Cal was local, so that was kind of cool, but that wasn’t the deciding factor. And Cal is currently ranked #22 in the nation. 

“Kevin Grimes is the coach at Cal. I like the way he runs his team, the intensity of the practices, the set-up they have there.”

Post-college, I wondered aloud what kind of professional goals Nick had in mind with soccer. Does he model his play after any superstar around the world, for example?

“I couldn’t even tell you the last time I watched a soccer game. I just love playing it. Being a student of the game, watching it makes you better. I don’t really have a player I look up to.”

Nick wants “to finish four years of college. MLS is not very good money. If I get bored of it, I need an education. I can do a lot with that. I haven’t decided on a major, though I want to be in business.

“I’d love to play in the MLS. I know pretty much all the players on the Earthquakes. I’ll to them. Chris Wondolowski is a cool guy.

“I’d like to play for the U.S. Men's National Soccer Team. Hopefully one day I’ll get a chance to play.”

As for what advice Nick has for aspiring soccer players who are swarming all over soccer field across town this fall, he would like to say, “Do what you love. The more you like it, the better you’ll do. You’ll want to work at it and get better. I always want to get better.

“I’d have to say when I’m out there on the field, it’s where I belong. When I’m not doing it, I have to play soccer. I have a ball on my foot. It’s where I belong.”