Joining D.C. United Academy in early 2007, Shane Cooke's hard work, skill and dedication has earned him the honor of being the 2007 Player of the Year.
Shane Cooke began playing soccer as a five year old in Colorado in much the same way most kids do - because his parents signed him up for it. He played numerous other sports, but decided to concentrate solely on soccer when he was eight. It's what he was "best at," admits Cooke.
After playing recreational soccer, Cooke decided to tryout for a travel team at the U-11 age group. "It was my first big tryout," he says. "They had a tryout with about 100 kids, making four different teams; I made the top team."
After a couple years in Colorado, Cooke's family moved to Virginia, where he continued to play for a top division soccer team. He spent three years with the MCSA Strykers and then decided it was time for another change.
Cooke heard about the D.C. United Academy tryouts and was pick to be a member of the Super-Y U-16 team. Despite having only joined D.C. United youth team at the beginning of 2007, Cooke has already excelled in the program.
The midfielder scored his first goal in March for the U-16 team against New York Red Bulls and excelled all summer with the U-16 Super Y League team. Cooke played an important role in helping the team win the inaugural SUM U-17 Cup in Denver.
Since joining the Academy in 2007, Cooke says he has already noticed his skills improve. His experience with D.C. United Youth Academy has allowed him to play against the best players in the area.
"The Academy has definitely improved my game" Cooke says. "As a player, you can't be lazy anymore. You really have to focus at every single practice and I really wasn't getting that much except for maybe a couple times [a year] through ODP. I have gotten a lot of help from the coaching staff. They are great."
Cooke's game has improved so much, that this summer he was invited to train with D.C. United's first team for three days. Training alongside United stars such as Christian Gomez, Ben Olsen and Jaime Moreno, Cooke got to experience what it's like being a professional soccer player. After playing with the first team, Cooke has strong aspirations to play with United's full squad and knows that the youth teams give him a chance to do so.
His time with the D.C. United Academy led to Cooke to his international debut this October with the U-18 National Team in France. In a game against Turkey, Cooke scored his first international goal. Despite eventually losing that game, Cooke said scoring that goal was the best feeling he's ever had.
"Just to put the ball in the goal and to wear the national team jersey, I can't even remember what I did, I'm sure it looked stupid," says Cooke of his first goal. "It was probably one of the best feelings I've ever had in my life."
While only a junior in at Liberty High School, Cooke has already begun thinking about his future in soccer. With the MLS Home-Grown program, he doesn't need to play college soccer to make it into MLS. Cooke can be eligible for a contract after high school, but for now college is first priority.
"We'll have to see how the cards play out, but for right now I am definitely looking at colleges."
Cooke will also be a key member of United's U-18 Academy team that begins its official Development Academy schedule on February 17. The future certainly looks bright for United's youth Player of the Year.
