Fall Athlete Spotlight: Jack McGagh
Jack McGagh, now a senior and one of the captains on the varsity soccer team, has what he describes as an incredible experience with the soccer program at CBA. The starting center back looks to continue another great year for the Colts as he’s ready to leave his mark on the program.
CBA soccer, notorious for its competitiveness, is one of the highlights of CBA athletics here in Lincroft, New Jersey. The varsity squad is always competing for a state championship, so starting at CBA as a freshman, McGagh explains that he was “nervous yet excited” to be a part of such a special program at the Academy.
“I knew from the get-go that I was coming into a program filled with very talented kids, so I knew I had to step it up and work extremely hard,” McGagh said.
Meeting new friends right away while also knowing many prior to CBA, McGagh explains that his class instantly established great chemistry during their freshman and junior varsity years.
“We won our freshman and JV tournaments, and grew significantly as a team towards the next step: varsity,” McGagh said.
McGagh credited a lot of his success to the coaching staff around him who have taught him not only ways to improve as an athlete, but also as a person through valuable life lessons. He explains that he was put in a great situation from the start as he learned what it meant to be a CBA soccer player early on.
“Coach Mulligan and Coach Santos have put a lot of trust in me as a senior leader to set an example for the team, and I think that with the help of Coach Mokes and Coach Fitz, I now am confident I will be able to do that,” McGagh explained.
In his junior year, McGagh said he felt ready to take his game to the next level. As a junior on a senior-led team, McGagh said he learned a lot about how to build and maintain a winning culture at CBA. He said he couldn’t have asked for a better first experience on varsity as the team faced many challenges mentally and physically with the pandemic, but that didn’t stop them from taking home a state championship.
“Being in the starting lineup and winning a state championship with my brothers is something I will never forget,” McGagh said, “And I know for a fact that we have the talent to do it again this year.”
As a senior, McGagh wants to help lead the Colts to victory in the Shore Conference final and the State Championship final. Coach Mulligan and Coach Santos have taught the team to take the season “one step at a time, one game at a time” while looking to build on each moment win or lose. Using this mentality, McGagh knows that he and his teammates will make each moment count as the Colts look to stay dominant in 2021.
McGagh wants to be a mentor for his teammates just like the previous upperclassmen who have helped him along the way. He looks to motivate his teammates on and off the field and help put together another special fall season. It’s going to be a fun ride, McGagh said as he plans to keep winning, taking in every second with his teammates.
“We’re all very close friends who love to win, what’s better than that?”
