May 20, 2008
Excelling both on and off the field, Richard Edgar is a standout on the Mason men's soccer team roster. A native of Mechanicsville, Maryland, Richard came to Mason as a scholarship athlete to play for Coach Greg Andrulis. Now entering his senior year as a psychology major, Richard has much to be proud of and even more to look forward to.
Richard has been surrounded by soccer from day one. With both parents who coached soccer, he began to play the sport at the age of three. By the age of nine, Richard played year round on various travel teams competing up and down the east coast.
By high school, Richard moved to Florida to attend a residency program at the Edison Academic Center where the learning process was accelerated and soccer and studies were everyone's priority. In this residency program, cuts were made on the team every semester. If Richard didn't make the cut, he would go home. He spent three years in Florida at Edison before he graduated with a 4.0 and was named Valedictorian of the 2005 class.
As one of the top 40 players in the nation at the time, Richard earned a spot to play on the United States U-15 National Soccer Team; the beginning of five years of national team experience. Richard participated in the U-17 World Cup qualifying events in Costa Rica and also competed in numerous international tournaments for the U.S. team in Northern Ireland, Argentina, Paraguay, France, Brazil and Holland. Selected as team captain for all two and a half years with the U-17 team, Richard was named as an All-American for three years.
Upon high school graduation, Richard was recruited by some of the top academic and athletic institutions in the country including Princeton, Maryland, Wake Forest and North Carolina. While Richard was weighing his options, Mason's Head Men's Soccer Coach Greg Andrulis placed a phone call and offered Richard an athletic-scholarship to play for Mason. With Coach Andrulis' professional soccer coaching experience and an instant shared bond, Mason was the perfect fit for Richard.
At Mason, Richard has been a strong leader on the soccer team and a positive role model in the community. The Mason men's soccer team plays an active role during Victims' Rights Week to volunteer at the Aimee Willard Memorial 5k. Additionally, the team holds clinics for local young soccer programs and works with a life skills community group. Outside of the team, Richard assists with the Diabetes Walk in Washington D.C. as he feels a personal connection to the cause as an athlete who suffers from diabetes himself. Richard spends his summers coaching. This summer he will be working with Potomac Cougars, a local area club team.
In the upcoming year, he will be training with some professional teams to prepare for the Major League Soccer (MLS) player combine, the showcase for players seeking an MLS opportunity. Following graduation from Mason, Richard aspires to play professional soccer.
