Recently, the 2024-2025 LM boys’ soccer team was once again recognized with the United Soccer Coaches High School Team Academic Award. The Aces earned an impressive 3.56 team GPA through last school year and were one of just 301 high school soccer programs in the country to achieve this recognition. On top of this impressive distinction in the classroom, the Aces were able to excel on the field, ending the season with a strong 15-5-1 record and a third-place Central League finish.
When asked about what it means to earn this academic distinction, head coach Nicholas Severini states that “it is an honor,” and “[the team] strives to be the best that they can be on the field but also off the field.”Alex Jackson ’26 shares this gratitude, recounting, “It means a lot, especially after looking back on stressful moments during the season where I had schoolwork to manage along with the busy season. I had to work hard to get through it.” Severini believes that academics is a driving force for student athletes, and to encourage players to keep school the number one priority, he says that “coaches stay in contact with teachers to work around conflicts and put in support if necessary.” Severini has built a culture where “players take accountability and responsibility towards their work in the classroom.”
As a teacher and former D1 player himself, Severini sees the importance of balancing academics with athletics firsthand. “I think that work in the classroom helps. Establish a routine, your discipline, the way that you organize yourself, and the same habits go to your sport,” he explains. “Athletics can come and go, injuries can come and go, but intelligence and working to improve your mind is kind of what drives success.” Severini prioritizes making his players better human beings instead of just soccer players; On top of the academic award, last year’s team was also recognized with the prestigious Team Ethics & Sportsmanship Award. This award celebrates sportsmanship, and teams are evaluated based on their ratio of yellow caution cards or red ejection cards to games played. The Aces were one of just 53 boys’ and girls’ teams to earn this distinction across the country. Senior captain Carson Cox ’26 explained that “coaches put a huge emphasis on academics and sportsmanship.” This emphasis pushes players to pursue more than soccer and helps them become successful young men.
When talking to Kai Kushner ’26, he recounted a time when it was especially tough to balance soccer and academics. “During the fall last year in my junior year, I had a really important physics test on Wednesday, but the night before we had a night game vs. Conestoga. I had to come back to school at 4 p.m., when school ended at 3:15, to get on the bus to make it to the 6 p.m. game. We finally got home at like 9 p.m., and then I had to start studying for the test. A lot of players might ask their teachers to extend their time for the test, but the culture Coach Severini creates emphasizes that we stay on top of our academics and always just persevere and get it done.” Even after the biggest games, players are still expected to stay on top of their schoolwork.
The culture around the team has been this way for a long time, as the team has consistently won these awards throughout the years. In 2019, LM player Phil Monos ’19 was even named on the United Soccer Coaches Association’s Scholar All-American Team. The continued recognition of the Aces shows that their success is no fluke. The coach’s continued emphasis on growing players off the field creates a legacy for new players to look up to. Severini not only wants his team to win soccer games, but also tries to make “winning their attitude” so they can succeed in life as well.
