Nicolo DePaoli '18 Recruiting Profile

My name is Nicolo (Nico) DePaoli and I am part of the class of 2018 at Riverside Military Academy (RMA) in Gainesville, GA.  I am 6'00'', 150 lbs. and I have been a goalie since I started playing lacrosse at the age of 9.  I am the starting varsity goalie at RMA and the club programs that I currently play for.  I wanted to play lacrosse, because it seemed very similar to hockey, which I started playing at the age of 5.  I quickly fell in love with the sport and it became an important part of my life.  I train extremely hard and spend many hours in the net, on the wall and in the gym. 

I have always taken on leadership roles, on and off the field.  During my Freshman and Sophomore years I was on the Student Council until I transferred to RMA.  At RMA, I now have leadership responsibilities as part of my rank in the 110th Corp of Cadets.  I do not shy from responsibility, rather, I seek it out.  As a goalie, I understand and accept my role as a leader on and off the field.  I come from a family with strong values and I am deeply involved in my church and community.  I have taken advantage of opportunities to give back through mission work and goalie coaching with younger players.  For much of the time I played, I was usually the undersized goalie that coaches and players underestimated.  I didn't have the size that other kids did, so I worked hard on my hand speed, foot speed and my overall lacrosse IQ. 

I currently have a 3.2 GPA and it continues to rise.  I take my academics seriously and I understand that I have to work hard and put in the extra effort.  My goal is to carry the same level of dedication to college and put it towards a degree in the area of Business and Sports Administration and Management.  I was blessed with the ability to play this sport and the coaches and mentors to guide me along the way.   I am looking for the opportunity to obtain a higher education and represent my school on the lacrosse field at the highest level of competition.