Hopedale’s Diamond To Play Soccer At Virginia

It’s not very often that a soccer player from Hopedale gets an opportunity to play at a high-powered Division 1 college program like the University of Virginia. Or gets a ringing endorsement from the school’s veteran coach.
Max Diamond, an 18-year-old who’s lived in Hopedale all his life, hopes to be a major contributor as a freshman for the Cavaliers, who’ve won the NCAA soccer championship seven times. And, he’s also hoping to live up to the words of George Gelnovatch, Virginia’s coach who guided the university to the NCAA crown in 2014.
The 6-foot-3, 180-pound Diamond met Gelnovatch when he visited the campus in Charlottesville. “He told me he believed I could make an immediate impact on the squad as either a midfielder or a defender,’’ Diamond said. “My goal as a freshman is to live up to the coach’s projection and I also want to play an integral role in the team’s drive to win the Atlantic Coast Conference title and help it contend for an NCAA championship.’’
Although Diamond calls Hopedale home, he didn’t attend school in town, instead opting to enroll at Advanced Math & Science Academy, a charter school in Marlboro. He didn’t play varsity soccer at AMSA because he competed for four years for the Revolution Academy youth teams, whose coaches develop players for top colleges, U.S. National Team programs and the New England Revolution senior contingent.
“It was a difficult decision to not play soccer with classmates at AMSA,’’ Diamond said. “When you get scouted by the Revolution Academy coaches and you’re offered a position on their teams, you commit to a 10-month schedule that runs from September to June. It was a tough decision but I have no regrets.’’
Diamond’s journey into soccer started at age nine when he played in the Milford-Hopedale youth league. Three years later, at age 11, he began play at the club level with the Mass. Premier Bulldogs. He started as a goalie, moved to center back and ended up as a midfielder with the Revolution teams. Diamond also played for the Olympic Development Program for three years, starting at age 12. A year later, he was competing in Italy in a tournament in Milan.
Diamond’s skills no doubt were sharpened during his time with the Revolution Academy squads, which play their home matches at Gillette Stadium. “Coaches there model their training after European teams and they stress a style used by Major League Soccer squads,’’ Diamond said. “I learned how patience and calmness can help one’s proficiency in an up-tempo game.’’
Diamond’s strengths include speed, endurance, a high soccer IQ, field awareness, a defensive presence and the ability to adjust quickly in transition. “One area I can improve is being more consistent in the last 20 minutes of a match,’’ Diamond noted. “I need to be more effective and adept as a match is winding down.’’
Diamond played one year for the academy’s U-14 team, two for its U-16 squad and one for the U-18 team. At all levels, the schedule was about 30 matches. “The style I developed was being patient when I had the ball on offense,’’ Diamond emphasized. “But, on defense, I played aggressively and intelligently.’’
At Virginia, Diamond likely will be awarded a scholarship but that assistance will come after his freshman year. “The earliest a player can get a scholarship is in his sophomore year,’’ Diamond said. “Financial assistance depends on your impact.’’
Diamond, who was an honor-roll student at AMSA, plans on majoring in aerospace engineering. On the soccer field, he’s hoping he can adjust quickly to the college game.
“The toughest transition will be the physical demands of the game,’’ he said. “The Revolution Academy did a good job of preparing me to play against older and more physical competitors. I learned how to react to pressure situations with the academy teams.’’
Diamond left for Charlottesville on Aug. 7 and two days later began pre-season practice.
When he played for the Revolution Academy, Diamond essentially competed in obscurity. That will change now that he’s with a highly visible college power. “Few people saw me play with the academy teams but I’m sure many people will see me as a college player,’’ Diamond said. “Competing for a Division 1 school like Virginia still hasn’t sunk in and I’m not sure it will.’’
One thing Diamond is sure about is what’s needed to excel at Virginia and in the ACC. “It’ll take a lot of hard work,’’ he said.
Max Diamond, however, isn’t afraid to roll up his sleeves because he knows the price for success.