Student Spotlight: Tarek Salama

As a sophomore, ASU student Tarek Salama tried out and made the men’s soccer team as an attacking midfielder — and two years later, he helped lead the team to its best campaign ever. However, he had to balance being a sport club captain with his studies at the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering.

Salama is a Computer Science major, and he’ll be getting his Bachelor’s degree this December. He’s also in the accelerated 4+1 program, meaning he will receive his Master’s degree in December 2018.

“I take usually 15 credits a semester, and then I usually get internships over the summer so I won’t have to work during the school year, which definitely helps a lot,” Salama said.

Since he joined the men’s soccer team two years ago, Salama’s weekly agenda has been all about “school and soccer” — when he’s not doing homework, he’s on the pitch. And this season, the senior captained his team to a historic season.

ASU’s men’s team won the NIRSA (National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association) Conference’s Southwest Division this past season, scoring 40 goals and conceding just 11 for an excellent +29 goal difference. The team beat rivals Arizona home and away, and Salama was the leading scorer with nine goals on the season. As conference winners, ASU FC made it to regionals at Cal Poly, but injuries took their toll and the team didn’t have enough left in the tank to proceed to nationals.

 

 

 

 

A snapshot of the ASU men’s soccer team. Salama is pictured in the top row at the far right.

Salama credited his talented teammates, coach David Paul’s training sessions and a new attitude as key to the team’s success in 2017. He explained that it was easier to lead when his teammates were all on the same page.

“I’d say the difference maker this season was we treated it a lot more seriously this semester,” Salama said. “It felt like a D-I [NCAA Division I] sport versus a sport club, and I tried my best to make it seem that way.”

It can be difficult to maintain success in a sport club, as players leave or graduate every semester. But Salama will return to the team in both spring and fall 2018, and he hopes new talent will emerge through tryouts.

“All the games we lost [at regionals], we only lost by one goal,” Salama said when asked what the team’s future holds. “Obviously it meant we were still on that level, so hopefully next year we can make it to regionals again and actually win it.”

The men’s soccer team can be found on Facebook at facebook.com/arizonastatesoccer, on Instagram @ASUMensSoccer and on Twitter @ASUSoccerMens.