Player To Watch: Rising Star Teenage Goalkeeper Signs With Swope
Talented Goalkeeper Picks Sporting Kansas City’s USL team, Swope Park Rangers – California youth calls Kansas City his new home.
Player To Watch: The Swope Park Rangers have added goalkeeper John Pulskamp to the roster for the 2019 USL Championship season, the club announced today. Pulskamp, a U.S. Youth National Team player, will be officially added to the roster pending league and federation approval.
Pulskamp, 17, joins the Rangers having spent one Development Academy seasons with the LA Galaxy Academy, making 23 appearances between their U17 and U19 sides.
Prior to his stint with the Galaxy, Pulskamp represented California-based academies Real So Cal and Central California Aztecs.
Pulskamp was a bright talent from early on.
A standout performer in front of the goal as a youth with a strong, clear, and concise voice, Pulskamp would galvanize his defenders into action, even as a U12 player.
In mid-2018, Pulskamp spent a period on trial with English Premier League side AFC Bournemouth but did not sign with the club.
On the international stage, Pulskamp has represented the United States at various youth levels, including a U.S. U18 camp at the U.S. Soccer National Development Center at Pinnacle in Kansas City, Kansas last June.
While in Kansas City last summer and on the U18 National team, Pulskamp enjoyed playing against the Sporting Kansas City Academy team in a friendly.
The Rangers (0-1-1) are back in action this weekend when the side takes on Bethlehem Steel at Children’s Mercy Park on Saturday afternoon with kickoff set for 4 p.m. CT. All USL Championship games are streamed live on ESPN+, while tickets for home games are available via SeatGeek.com.
VITALS
John Pulskamp
Position: Goalkeeper
Born: 4/19/2001 (17 years old)
Height: 6-2
Weight: 190 lbs.
Hometown: Bakersfield, Calif.
Birthplace: Bakersfield, Calif.
Citizenship: USA
Twitter: @john_pulskamp
Instagram: @john_pulskamp
TBT: When Pulskamp was the goalkeeper for the Aztecs, Diane Scavuzzo interviewed him.
Here is an excerpt:
Diane Scavuzzo: What is the role of a goalie?
John Pulskamp: The role of a goalkeeper is to work along with your team to prevent the opposition from scoring. That is my focus and becomes the only thing on my mind. Everything else follows naturally.
Diane Scavuzzo: How do you use communication on the soccer field?
John Pulskamp: Communication is crucial for a goalkeeper. As a goalie, you can see things that defenders often can’t.
As a goalie, I try to keep my communication as simple, direct, and clear as possible to get the point across as fast as I can.
Diane Scavuzzo: When did you first start playing soccer?
John Pulskamp: I first started playing organized soccer at AYSO when I was 5 years old. My dad was my coach. I moved to a local competitive youth soccer club — Central California Aztecs — when I was 8 and have been with the same club ever since.
Diane Scavuzzo: When did you choose to become a Goalkeeper?
John Pulskamp: Within the first year of playing soccer at the age of 5 — I knew I wanted to play in the goal. Growing up, I would always play soccer with my brothers and all of our friends in our backyard — and, I would always be the goalkeeper. When my Dad coached me at AYSO, he rarely let me play in the goal. While I was a field player, I realized I was really attracted to the goalkeeper position, I guess I just enjoy the uniqueness of it.
Diane Scavuzzo: What is your dream for the future?
John Pulskamp: My dream is to play soccer for the U.S. Men’s National team and to become a professional soccer player.
Congratulations to John Pulskamp!
Source: Swope Park Rangers release
