Gael Spotlight: Justin Grider

Moraga, CA- Saint Mary's men's soccer player Justin Grider recently finished his third year of eligibility after redshirting his freshman season at SMC. Grider was one of four players to start all 19 games for the Gaels this year and finished the 2010 season tied for second on the team with eight points on three goals, including two game-winners, and two assists. Grider has started 56 of 59 games in his career, and his athleticism and work ethic wreak havoc on opposing teams. Recently, Grider took the time to talk about this past season, his SMC experience, and a little bit about himself.

What are your overall thoughts on this past season?
I thought the team played well for the most part; we just didn't perform well when it really mattered. We were able to reach a school-high 10 wins again, and we had the most shutouts in school history, but we failed to win the WCC and make it to the postseason, both of which were very attainable goals.

What do you need to work on both individually and as a team throughout the spring?
I need to be more aggressive on and off the ball. As a team I think we need to grow together and actually come closer as a TEAM, not as a group of good individual soccer players.

What is your best memory so far as a SMC student-athlete?
Beating Portland last year at Portland, to reach the 10 wins mark, which was the most in school history, and help solidify our tournament spot that year. It truly was a team victory.

What do you most enjoy about the sport of soccer?
I enjoy the beauty of the game, how it can spark so much creativity between teammates. Soccer is not like other sports where the scoring is quick and throughout the game, in soccer goals are earned and sometimes few and far between, so when you do score it feels that much better. I also like how soccer is truly a team sport with all 11 players having specific roles and if the roles gel together, it can be very successful.

What is the best part of your game?
I think my athletic ability and versatility as a player are my best attributes. I can and have played just about every position in the game and can always fill in somewhere when the need arises.

You are from nearby in Concord, what does it mean to you to have your family attend most home games?
It means a lot having such supportive parents who have never missed a game. I look forward to seeing them before the game starts and after, knowing that they make sure never to miss a single game.

Why did you choose SMC?
My brother and I had the opportunity to come to SMC and play soccer together at a division one program, you can't beat that.

What do you see yourself doing in 10 years?
I would like to have obtained my PhD in economic development and pursuing my academic career. I can hopefully either teach economics in the future or do some sort of development work in other countries.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
I would love to be able to fly. I would soar anywhere and everywhere.

Who has been the most influential person in your life?
I would have to choose both my parents. My parents allowed me to pursue my own goals and let me find myself in my own way. They taught me compassion and to be a good human being, always reminding me that I can always help someone else besides myself.

Do you have any game-day rituals or superstitions?
I like to eat certain things and avoid other things that I would normally eat if it were not game-day. I also have certain articles of clothing that I like to wear on game-days.

If you couldn't play soccer, what sport would you most like to play? Why?
I would like to be a professional snowboarder. I love the snow and snowboarding. I could be as creative as I wanted and have total freedom. It is also an individual sport so all my successes or failures would depend solely on myself and nobody else.

What is your favorite place that you have visited?
I was a teacher in the Philippines in the summer of 2010 and it has to be my favorite place I have visited. The people, culture, and geography of the Philippines are fascinating in every way. The people are the most genuine people I have ever met and will do anything you ask of them. The culture is one built on relationships, with over a hundred dialects for the 7000 plus beautiful islands that make up the country.

What kind of music is on your pregame playlist?
I personally don't have a pregame playlist but there is usually a CD in the boom box in the locker room before the game, with some Kanye West, Jay-Z, Biggy Smalls, and other hip-hop artists.

What is the best piece of advice that you have ever been given?
This is a quote from Abraham Lincoln, "whatever you are, be a good one." I really like that quote, because it applies to everything. I have been able to meet a lot of ordinary people that have done extraordinary things throughout the world and they have opened me up to a new perspective on how to walk through life.

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