Since starting soccer at seven years old, senior Idan Garten never looked back, spending both personal and practice time improving his skills. But soccer is more than just a sport to Idan: It’s a place where stress melts away.

“I can disconnect from everything around me,” Idan said. “And if I’m stressed with school or other things, it’s a way for me to get away from all that.” 

His determination to play at the highest level brought him to commit to playing Division III soccer at Carnegie Mellon University. His ability to consistently push himself past his limits has helped him become a stronger leader on the soccer field. 

“Idan has become a leader,” varsity boys soccer Head Coach Roberto Magellan said. “More from his actions than his words.”

For almost 10 years, Idan has been the top scorer on his club teams and brought him a family of teammates he can depend upon no matter what. 

“We have a lot of chemistry on the field,” Idan said. “But off the field is really important too. It helps build connections and that second family that you get.”

“He’s always been there for me if I needed something, willing to help me with whatever,” senior Connor Salita said. “There’s a level of trust that helps me better understand him.”

As passionate as he is about soccer, Idan strives for academic success as well. He plans on pursuing a career in computer science, which is why he chose CMU, a university well-known for its technology programs. After taking AP Computer Science and ADEN in his sophomore and junior years, Idan found a certain level of satisfaction in the mix of science and technology. 

“I like how computer science mixes logic and creativity, and when I program things, it’s a great feeling to make something that works and runs perfectly,” Idan said. “And it’s something that I would want to pursue for the rest of my life.”

Throughout his soccer career, Idan’s biggest supporter has been his father, who attends his games and helps him navigate technical aspects, like the recruitment process. 

“Whether games were 10 minutes or 3 hours away, he always supported me,” Idan said. “He’s supported me my whole life, especially with college recruitment.”

Even with all the challenges of playing a sport at such a high level, Idan always comes out loving soccer because of the joy he feels while playing.

“I play soccer because I love it,” Idan said. “That’s the most important thing in whatever you do, to have fun and enjoy it.”