As a little boy, Kenny Ramirez knew he wanted to play soccer. Watching his dad play on the weekends inspired him to follow in his footsteps.
“Seeing him talk about the game and playing it, that kind of inspired me,” said Ramirez, now a senior and a team captain at Warren Central.
Playing soccer ever since elementary school, Ramirez has never looked back, and he doesn’t plan on stopping. He is hoping to continue playing soccer after high school at the collegiate level. He has looked specifically at Marian University, where last year’s team captain for the Warriors, Dalensky St. Thome is now playing.
“I’m trying to play for Marian University, maybe competing for a first-team spot, but I know it’s competitive over there,” Ramirez said.
Part of the reason Ramirez’s aspirations are so high is because his teammates believe in him. As the captain of the soccer team, he leads and pushes everybody on the team to be their best.
“He’s very cheerful,” senior Yordin Castillo said. “He brings pride into the team. He’s just an amazing friend.”
Along with the impression he gives to his teammates, his coaches see things in him as well. As the coaches choose who will be captain for the year, they look for a player who will be the best leader for the team.
“Kenny was a great choice for captain this season because of his leadership qualities,” head coach Robbie Pels said. “He has always been very open with me, communicates well, shares his ideas and then does a really good job leading the team.”
Through Ramirez’s time at Warren, he has been able to accomplish a few goals and have some accomplishments. He has worked hard to reach this point in his high school career and wants to continue getting better.
“Being able to go from being a junior varsity captain to being a varsity captain, that’s a big achievement of mine,” he said.
Ramirez serving as a captain on the varsity squad this year has been a success thus far, as he has exemplified all of the qualities that a team looks for in a captain.
“He's been a very good captain for our team this season,” Pels said. “He does a really good job pushing his teammates to work hard during practice, holds the team accountable and is a great connection between myself and the rest of the team.”
In addition to performing well on the field, Ramirez gives the same effort off the field. He knows the importance of being a student-athlete and always makes sure that academics come first.
“I worry about what I have to do in the classroom first before I go on the field,” he said. “Get that class over and done with, and then get on the field.”
Overall, Ramirez is an exceptional student-athlete, who has a lot of potential to use his captain role to benefit him greatly in his future.
“I'm hopeful that his time as captain of this team helps him gain leadership roles in whatever career he ends up in because it's very clear he excels with those qualities,” Pels said.