Maximus Jennings has been on a roll lately for WSC, with a recent point streak stretching through four matches.
Here is a a link to learn more about Max on Inside Westchester Soccer.
Some things to listen for: He is originally from Montclair, New Jersey and has four siblings. Jennings grew up playing soccer, football, and lacrosse. During high school he focused on football and soccer at Hotchkiss boarding school in Connecticut. He was then signed to play soccer at Georgetown. During his junior year of high school, Jennings was drafted by Real Salt Lake. He finished school to get his degree before playing with Real Monarchs in the next pro league for a year. He had an opportunity to sign with Westchester Soccer, ultimately bringing him closer to family.
- Background
- Wasn’t until the summer before junior year of high school when he committed to just soccer
- Went to public school (Montclair High School) before going to boarding school his sophomore year called Hotchkiss in CT.
- He attended Hotchkiss to play football
- Went to Georgetown ID camps resulting in an invitation from the soccer coach, Coach Lakota, to visit the school → ended up committing for soccer
- Did not play freshman year→ took it as a learning opportunity and was able to grow as a player which led him to having lots of playing time sophomore year
- Got drafted by Real Salt Lake his junior year→ one of the first players signed under a rule that allowed non-seniors to be drafted while keeping their college eligibility
- Finished school to get his degree and signed with their second team → Real Monarch’s next pro team. Played with them for a year and ultimately ended up signing with Westchester to be closer to family.
- Challenges
- Did not play freshman year at Georgetown. Super hard to transition from competitive club teams to the bench→ confidence was tested
- Affected him mentally but turned the situation into a growing experience and learned from upperclassmen
- Went from playing football in high school to getting recruited for soccer→ left people very confused, but was a hard process for Jennings. Essentially had to pick which one made him happier
- Mentality
- Takes the mental preparation of each game very serious
- Meditated to calm nerves 5 to 10 min before the game to help stay in the moment and be present
- If mistakes are made on the field, he turns to communication and talks to his teammates
- Be in control and let the confidence flow
- Routine
- Before every game Jennings picks up turf or grass and smells it like the character Maximus does in the movie Gladiator
- Resting is a huge aspect of Jennings career in his opinions →his approach to recovery
- The mental side of the game is very important to protect for Jennings
FOR ALL THE EPISODES OF INSIDE WESTCHESTER SOCCER, CLICK HERE.
