Inside The Mind of A High School Baller

When we see successful players on the field, we think of their natural ability for the sport. However, every elite athlete must grind outside normal practice to become a better player. They do not have any more time in the day than any other player, but they make time within the chaos of everyday life to maximize their talent and advance to the next level.

Great athletes are all over the Tampa Bay area. One such kid we've had the privilege to see play is Brooks DeBartolo Collegiate High School student-athleteAlex Borysov. Alex is one of the best soccer players to ever play at Brooks, earning the school's 2022 Offensive Player of the Year Award with 18 goals

"Alex is a very skilled soccer player, but the thing I like about him the most is that he is very cerebral on the field," says Brooks DeBartolo Head Coach Rudy Isaac. "He thinks like a coach, is not afraid to offer his opinion, and sometimes disagrees with me and (Assistant Head) Coach Sean.“

However, a quick chat with his mom, Meghan, reveals more than a great athlete, but a determination and character you can't coach in a player. With his love for soccer, all else could be on the back burner as he's a typical teenager with a lot on his plate. Yet, he has worked through distractions all his life while staying focused on being the best version of himself

Some examples include:

- Being challenged at a young age about his grit and soccer skills after joining a new team didn't make him want to quit but work extra hard to earn the respect of his teammates.

- The oldest of four kids, he takes care of his three siblings "with kid gloves" (says mom) while his parents are at work.

- He spends time with his Ukrainian dad, fundraising to help others affected by the war in his homeland.

- He readily gave up his private bedroom and moved in with his little siblings so his displaced grandma could come from Ukraine to live with them.

- He dreams of playing soccer at an Ivy League school and puts in the extra study hours to make that happen.

Alex makes no excuses because he has always found his way. He was not born into a soccer-mad family. His dad, Sergiy, was a Soviet Union-born Ukrainian immigrant focused on academics over sports. His dad and mom were cancer biology Ph.D. students when they met, meaningAlex's early strides as a player came from selfdriven determination over coaching from his parents.

That mindset impacts all aspects of Alex's life. He is sitting on a 6+ GPA while taking AP and college classes. He has already attended a pre-med summer program at Columbia University and is taking an investment management/finance program at the same school this summer. In addition to soccer and academic success, Alex is also a classically-trained pianist. His ability to juggle all these aspects of his life into a successful routine sets Alex apart from the crowd.

His self-driven determination also helped him when he went down with a stress injury in his back at the end of 2021. Instead of gaming, Alex refocused and worked on film study and rehab. That rehab led to more gym work - agility, speed, and strength drillswhich gave Alex the physical tools needed for his big 2022 season.

"If I learned a teammate ran four miles, I would run five. If one of my friends said they worked out two hours, I would work out three hours the next day," Alex wrote in an essay for acceptance into the Columbia pre-med program. This is the kind of doctor I would want to work on me.

That mindset allowed Alex to score 18 goals in a single season. To achieve those 18 goals from the center attacking midfield role makes the accomplishment even more special. Alex also plays as a striker for his ECNL TBU club side. This team has made the national playoffs for two consecutive years, with Alex as one of their top performers. His ability to play a 10 for his school and a 9 for his club says so much about his versatility as a player and his desire to do everything possible to help his teams win.

"He's always challenging himself," recalls his mom. "At an early age, he would set challenges to beat on a daily basis. Sometimes it was waiting for his siblings to eat half of a cookie before he started eating his half. Sometimes it was running layup drills until dark to develop the jumping ability needed to dunk. If there were ways to put a challenge into something, he would find it.“

That mindset is what will make Alex succeed in life. At this time, Alex sees sports medicine as his future, a profession that will allow him to give back while pushing science simultaneously. He has dealt with enough injuries to understand how skilled professionals can quickly get players back on the pitch, and he wants to be part of that rehab process of helping others.

That is Alex's future. His mindset today is to continue to score goals, to create chances for others, and to push himself and his teammates to be the best soccer players they can be

Written by Steve Wright & Carnell Moore