As a freshman in high school, Dynamo Academy prospect Cody Lofgren is already one of the top players on his high school team. Of course, Kingwood Park High School only has freshmen and sophomores, but Lofgren has shined playing against juniors and seniors, too.
A member of the Dynamo Academy U-15 team, Lofgren has been steady in helping Kingwood Park into third place in District 19-4A with five games remaining despite his youth and slight stature.
"Being in the Academy has helped me in so many ways, because I am just a freshman already playing on the varsity team," said Lofgren. "It has not been a major change for me, because the level of competitiveness from my varsity team in high school is the same as the Dynamo Academy."
Lofgren said his game has changed since joining the Academy. The coaching staff has taught the game more clearly for Lofgren and helped him understand the game even better.
"The Dynamo Academy has helped me to read the game better by knowing when to attack and defend, instead of just running without thinking," said Lofgren. "I believe some of the best coaches are here in the academy."
Improvements are occurring at a rapid pace for Lofgren, who typically plays left midfield, but he said he expects his game to continue to evolve. In 12 high school games this year, Lofgren has scored twice and notched a team-leading nine assists while taking the majority of corner kicks.
"I have tactically played much better and have been reading the game better than I ever had before, but I think I still need to improve the technique in my shot," said Lofgren.
One highlight of Lofgren's time with the Dynamo Academy so far has been the foreign trips the team has taken.
"The coolest moment for me is when our team goes down to Mexico each year and also scoring a [penalty kick] in last year's Monterrey trip," Lofgren said.
Lofgren will likely move up to the Dynamo's U-18 squad later this year, and his experience facing older players should come in handy.
