Soccer has been a part of Whitfield School senior TJ Chulick’s routine since he was 3 years old and playing for a local Catholic Youth Council league. His coach transitioned the team to an indoor league and eventually a more competitive club team. “I started playing with the St. Louis Scott Gallagher Soccer Club when I was 7, and that’s where I’ve been ever since,” he says. The enjoyment he gets from playing has remained the same, but Chulick now has a greater appreciation for the sport—and a more intense practice schedule. “When I was younger, I just liked to compete,” he says. “As I got older and started high school, I became more interested in the different ways to play and the tradition of the game.”
The 17-year-old has played on the Whitfield varsity team since he was a freshman and credits his coaches, Bill Daues and Mike Quante, for teaching him not just about the technical aspects of the game, but also how to have a mental edge over opponents. “They taught me how to push myself mentally and not just physically, which a lot of players struggle with,” he explains. “That’s really helped me. I love learning new moves, and I try to get better every day.”
The drive to reach full potential requires lots of time on the soccer field. “I’m always practicing, dribbling or passing with a friend or another teammate every day to keep in touch with the sport,” he says. The Whitfield team started daily practice in August, and once the high school season is over, Chulick will practice three times a week for the club team. The hours have paid off: He has two state championships with his club team, and Whitfield won the district championship last year.
Chulick also was selected Class 1 All State the past two years, a distinction voted on by coaches. Chulick can easily be called a natural athlete; he’s also played lacrosse since the age of 10 (although he had to sit out last season because of an injury) and plans to play on the Whitfield golf team in the spring. He wants to choose a college based on its academics but doesn’t rule out continuing soccer. “I want to go to school for school, but if the college has a soccer team, I will work my hardest to play. I need to get used to the possibility of not playing every day, but I’d miss it.”
