This article was written by Caleb TeBrake
According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association, of the roughly half a million high school students who play soccer, less than three percent go on and continue to compete at the Division 3 stage.
Through hard work and dedication, senior Jackson Dowdle has finally made his dream of playing collegiate soccer come true. Early morning lifts and late night training have paved the way for Dowdle to continue to play soccer. All of his hard work came to a culmination this winter when he committed to playing for the growing national presence of Trine University. Dowdle’s season will begin at Trine in the fall of 2026. This journey for him has not been easy. Through grit, determination, and the support of those around him Dowdle has proven successful.
High school coach and former Northview soccer player Odin Dreyer has coached many players who committed to play in college and knows the struggle the process of recruitment and making a choice can bring.
“There’s a lot of uncertainty when it comes to college recruitment and it can be a stressful thing,” Dreyer said. “There’s a lot of factors like being close to family or with some places you don’t really know what it would be like to live there but you’re making a decision on the next four years of your life.”
The act of committing is long and tiring due to the hours of communication with coaches, making time to create a highlight reel, and getting in team and individual training, but now Dowdle is relieved to finally be done with it.
“It’s a weight off my shoulders. I’m relieved that I’m done with this process and now I start getting ready for what’s coming next. I’m excited but also a little nervous,” Dowdle said.
Korinne Dowdle, Dowdle’s mother, knows that it takes a village to be successful. Because of this, Dowdle has a great support team at home.
“When JD decided to pursue college soccer his dad was definitely a driving force, helping encourage him in everything he did. Really pushing him along,” Korinne said.
Many athletes looking to play in college face doubts. Dowdle had to wrestle with what he wanted his future to look like and asked himself if soccer was something he needed in his life. Was all the work worth it?
“After my junior year club season I thought I was just going to go to Michigan State and not play soccer,” Dowdle said. “But after this past high school season I realized how achievable this dream was and that’s when I started to want it more.”
Leadership and hard work is what college coaches look for. Teammate and friend, senior Ethan Wells, sees these qualities in the way Dowdle carries himself.
Dowdle scans the field. By knowing what was going on around him, he was able to make the right play. Photo courtesy of Jackson Dowdle.
“He was always the leader of the team in some ways. He’s a really hard worker on and off the field,” Wells said. “As a teammate he was someone who supported and helped me out when I made mistakes and he always pushed me to play my best.”
The Division three level is filled with talent, but Dreyer has noticed that Dowdle has something that no coach can teach which makes him extremely valuable as a player. Passion.
“JD is very passionate, very intense, and he loves the game. I feel like he plays with his heart on his shoulder,” Dreyer said. “You can tell he really cares. There’s never been a time in a game where I felt JD didn’t care.”
This intensity and love for the game has been Dowdle’s motivation to reach the highest level of the game of soccer possible. This perseverance has been evident to Korinne Dowdle.
“He’s had to work really hard, training really hard outside of team practices to prove himself and to make himself better,” Korinne said.
Wells understands it’s awesome to have such a love for the game of soccer but he knows there is more to Dowdle than being a flashy footballer.
“He definitely is a hard worker at soccer but he also cares about his grades and about the other people around him,” Wells said.
Dowdle is more than just a soccer player. He is someone who knows what it means to push through hardships and how to keep your cool, even in undesirable situations. Through his experiences, he has taught the people around him what it means to be persistent. Even to those older than him, like Dreyer.
“I’ve learned a lot of lessons of perseverance from him,” Dreyer said. “To have your senior year not go the way you’ve dreamt of after some really successful years but still continuing to be positive was something I learned a lot from.”
A goal of Dowdle’s is to inspire others around him and that is what he’s done here at the high school, teammate Wells has seen him do it.
Dowdle and his teammate talking about the play that just happened at a tournament down in Florida. They were able to sort out what to do next time. Photo courtesy of Jackson Dowdle.
“He has set an example about what I can achieve as a player. Some of the stuff he does, I want to do but can’t do yet,” Wells said. “Off the field he is a hard worker and to get to where he is, it has shown me that if I want to be the best at what I do I really have to put in the hours and the work.”
Committing to a college for sports is no easy task and hard work and talent are necessary but at the end of the day, you don’t live life for a sport. You live life to encourage, uplift, and inspire others to do their best.
“I’ve been blessed to go through my college journey and I hope that I can leave high school being more than just a good soccer player but also a good person,” Dowdle said.
Leave a Reply