School: Pennsbury
Soccer
Favorite athlete: Lionel Messi
Favorite team: FC Barcelona
Favorite memory competing in sports: Scoring and assisting in our 4-3 come-from-behind National Championship Series State Cup Final victory and competing at the Region 1 Championships.
Most embarrassing/funniest thing that has happened while competing in sports: During the run of play, one of my teammates had to go to the bathroom. Instead of waiting to be substituted out of the game, he ran off the field and headed straight for the nearest porta-potty. My teammates and I have yet to let him live that one down!
Music on iPod: The Strokes, Beastie Boys, Arcade Fire, The Roots, Mos Def
Future plans: Attend Schreyer Honors College at Penn State and graduate with an integrated Bachelor-Master Degree in Architecture
Words to live by: ‘Character is doing the right thing when nobody’s looking.’
One goal before turning 30: Backpack through Europe
One thing people don’t know about me: On any given weekday, I rarely go to bed before midnight.
By Alex Frazier
Pennsbury soccer coach Tom Stoddart missed Kyle MacDonald’s big signing day with Penn State.
He called MacDonald to tell him he wouldn’t be able to attend because he had to take his son to the emergency room.
MacDonald’s reaction was, “Coach, you didn’t have to call.”
But he did insist that Stoddart call him later to let him know how his son was doing.
“That’s the kind of kid he is,” said Stoddart.
Indeed, MacDonald is a special kid.
Certainly he is a terrific athlete, good enough for Penn State to offer him a scholarship.
But he is more than just a good soccer player.
A lot more.
“You’re not going to find a person on campus that doesn’t want to interact with him, be a part of what he’s doing,” said Stoddart. “He’s just a great person.”
MacDonald is No. 1 in a class of 840 at Pennsbury.
Not only is MacDonald No. 1 this year, but he’s also been at the top of his class since he entered school as a freshman.
He admits that he is naturally competitive, but when it comes to academics, “I haven’t thought of being No. 1 as a competition but rather sustaining my academic integrity and performing in the classroom as well as I do out on the field. Having those two compatible helped me manage my time. To be No. 1 in a class that big is something I give credit to myself for being able to hold onto.”
He carries a 4.7 GPA on a scale of 5.0. This year he is taking advanced placement U.S. History, statistics and German.
He took German partly because his mother and sisters had taken it too. But above that he realized it might help him down the road.
“It was a good business language so that in the future if I want to work overseas or work for an international corporation that could suit me well,” he said.
Extracurricularly, MacDonald is a member of the Art Committee for Sports Night, the Senior Prom Committee and the National Honor Society.
Soccer has been a huge part of MacDonald’s life since the age of five, when he started intramural play. He played travel ball for Yardley Morrisville. His current YMS premier team is ranked second in the country.
He was introduced to the sport by his father, who coached all three of his older sisters.
“I would always be on the sidelines watching the games or kicking a ball around,” he said. “That childhood influence sparked an interest. Once I developed an interest, I worked harder and harder at it.”
Stoddart can attest to his work ethic.
“The amount of hours he spent playing outside of organized practice —I wouldn’t be able to count them,” he said, “but it’s rare for today’s player that he was be able to ignite himself to the point that he plays all the time.”
If he wasn’t practicing twice a day with his two teams, he spent an hour in his backyard working on areas of his game he believed needed honing.
“Soccer is a big part of my life,” said MacDonald. “I like to stay busy.”
Naturally, the hard work sharpened his skills.
“His technical ability is higher than most players,” said Stoddart. “His athletic ability, his preparation and his understanding of the game is definitely there.”
Although MacDonald is primarily a midfielder, Stoddart used him as a linking forward for Pennsbury this year. He helped make the transition from midfield to attack.
Stoddart said he was deceptively fast.
“Not fast like line ‘em up, get a gun, but fast in his reaction time,” he said. “His understanding of the game and his first step make him extremely fast on the field.”
For Pennsbury this year, he scored eight goals and contributed 12 assists.
MacDonald’s soccer honors include: Courier Times and SOL National Conference first team, ESPN Rise All-State Top 40 Players in Pennsylvania, team captain YMS thunder (2005-present), and EPYSA State Cup National Championship Series Champ 2010.
Before deciding on Penn State, MacDonald considered Lehigh, Lafayette, Carnegie Mellon and Pitt. The big school atmosphere was just one of many considerations that drew him to State College.
“I’m used to the atmosphere of being around a lot of kids and am acquainted with that setting,” he said.
He also noted that the coaching staff was most welcoming, the team showed promise, and he would be close enough to home for his parents to see him play.
The Nittany Lions offered him a partial scholarship based on both academics and athletics.
MacDonald is leaning toward architecture as a major. He has taken drafting courses at Pennsbury.
“The design component of the drafting class as well as the visual structures is interesting from the start,” he said. “I’ve also been interested and done well in math courses and that integrated the two into one field.”
He’s also considering architectural engineering and civil engineering.
The present Nittany Lions’ staff will be entering its second year next fall. MacDonald will be part of its first recruiting class. After attending a clinic there on Feb. 20, he was told that he would probably play flank midfield.
“They liked how I moved the ball and that my technical ability outweighed my size,” he said. “They saw me coming to Penn State and getting minutes, whether it’s off the bench or starting.”
MacDonald is hoping to achieve the same success at Penn State as he did at Pennsbury.
Stoddart is confident he will.
“There are people out there who will look at him and say he will have trouble playing at that level,” he said, “but he works so hard that I really think he’s going to listen to whatever program they want to put him on. I’m excited to see how he will develop over the next four years. I think he’ll do well. He’s successful at whatever he puts his mind to.”
MacDonald will certainly be missed next year.
And not just as a player.
“I’ll replace him on the field,” said Stoddart. “I’ll find players that can play, but everything else he did is what we’re going to be missing. He’s one of those players who, having been able to work with him, you become a better person.”
