Soccer player, runner and International Baccalaureate student, junior Marcos Algeciras has various academic and extracurricular commitments that keep his schedule busy. Despite the hustle and bustle of his daily life, Algeciras’s dedication to athletics specifically has turned what may look to an outsider as a full agenda into a calendar with passion-filled daily activities.

Algeciras began playing soccer in elementary school and although he was forced into joining the sport by his parents, he has grown a love for it ever since. Algeciras formerly played defense for South Miami Football Club, a local Miami soccer team. Currently, he plays defender on the Cavalier soccer team, where he reached the semi-finals in the district championship during the 2020-2021 season. This school year, he has also become a runner for the cross country and track team at Gables.

The athlete first joined the cross country and track team to prepare him for the Cavalier soccer season which starts on Oct.18. Eager to surpass his performance last season and bring home the district gold, he has put a lot of time into his training.

Despite this being his first year doing cross country and track, Algeciras won a 4th place medal in the 800 meter dash for track and field and finished 3rd place in the three mile race for cross country this September.

“His work ethic is incomparable. He is a true athlete that I think will be successful at anything he does. I’m excited to see how he progresses during the year,” Cross Country Coach Scott Nelson said.

Despite his newfound enthusiasm for running, no sport compares to soccer in Algeciras’s eyes. Before playing soccer at school, he competed in tournaments such as the Weston cup, already building his portfolio as a soccer player. As a sophomore, Algeciras reached the semi-finals of the district championship, playing defense for the Cavaliers.

Outside of school, he trains for soccer in his free time, going to the gym to continue building strength and resistance and hitting the soccer pitch to practice his techniques and improve his precision. Algeciras is hopeful for this year, placing a lot of faith in his teammates who have been training with him in track and cross country and his coach.

“My teammates are very gifted and talented, they have made a positive impact on who I am today as a player for Gables as well as Coach Fotso who is an excellent coach that has a deep knowledge towards the sport and an extremely positive relationship with all his players. If we work together and follow his instructions, I believe we can win districts,” junior Marcos Algeciras said.

Although he spends numerous hours practicing sports after school, he has not put his academics on the sideline, either. This year at school, Algeciras began his first year of IB. This means that his academic schedule is packed with demanding classes such as Advanced Placement Psychology, AP Spanish literature and AP English Literature coupled with the pressure of the IB Internal Assessments and External Assessments.

However, Algeciras has been taking numerous AP classes since freshman year and plans to succeed in all of them, currently thinking of earning Bright Futures and possibly attending the University of Florida. Algeciras is still unsure whether he will go on to play soccer in college.

Even with all these responsibilities, Algeciras has time for a part time job. He works Fridays and Saturdays from 6:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at La Glace ice cream parlor, saving up money on the side.

“At first I didn’t think I would have enough time to manage but I have managed. I’m always trying to do my work on time so I don’t fall behind,” junior Marcos Algeciras said.

Despite all the challenges that lie ahead of him, Marcos Algeciras, having surmounted numerous obstacles already, is ready to take on Gables athletics. He has seen that hard work pays off and plans to continue working hard as he shoots for the stars.