Soccer star commits to Carnegie Mellon University

Senior Kevin Yu, a star soccer player for the varsity team since freshman year, will be setting the Falcon crest aside to play for the Carnegie Mellon Tartans next fall on a Division 3 squad.

On the way to recruitment, Yu gained many valuable experiences.

He said recruitment for soccer is different from that of other team sports like football and basketball since less emphasis tends to be placed on individual statistics. Yu began his recruitment process by attending summer soccer camps at CMU as well as sending in a video that highlighted his strengths.

He then advanced to tryouts, where he was among 50 others competing for a spot at CMU.

“I wasn't sure if I was good enough,” he said. “On the first day, you have to stand out. I kept working hard and eventually, the coach said he would contact me about what to do from here.”

Yu had previously met CMU’s head coach, Brandon Bowman, who saw him play at Surf Cup, an invitational tournament in San Diego. Yu was attending with his club team, the ‘98 De Anza Force Blue.

At the time, Bowman told Yu that he was impressed to see Yu’s skills and teamwork. Following his tryouts at CMU in July, he offered Yu a spot on the team and admission into the school, but, like sports offers at many academic colleges, not a scholarship.

Playing for both Force and the school team has helped Yu intensify his training.

Yu praised his coaches, Dave Burgee and Matt Marquess, for helping him develop as a player and bolstering his fitness level and defensive and offensive abilities.

Yu believes that this combination of strong coaches and considerable playing time on the school team, helped him develop as a well-rounded player.

Yu’s teammate, senior forward Jonathan Yun, has played with Yu since they were in elementary school and admires his  hard work both on the field and off.

“His work ethic has translated into his academics and he is very diligent in completing his work with quality,” Yun said. “I think Kevin will continue to be a very successful student athlete in college because of his boldness in and out of the classroom.”

In mid-August, Yu agreed to verbally commit to CMU where he will be studying business.

Now in his seventh year with Force, Yu is grateful for all that the club has offered and is looking forward to his time with the Tartans.

“The combination of academics, coaching staff, great environment, friendly players and my desire to play soccer were ultimately the reasons why I chose CMU,” Yu said.