Redshirt senior goalkeeper Alex McCauley has spent the past five years as a member of Wolfpack men’s soccer. Over the years, the Georgia native has been an anchor, a leader and a brother to his teammates.
When McCauley looks back on his time with the soccer team at NC State, he says that the bonds he has made with his teammates are the things that he will miss the most. McCauley has made such strong and lasting relationships with fellow members of the team that he considers them his family.
“Even though you get limited time with some guys, it’s so important for us to connect, to be together, to actually have each other’s back, to treat each other like brothers,” McCauley said. “I’ve really felt that.”
McCauley also says that the relationships mean more to him than any other aspect of the program, including the game itself.
“The results are secondhand to me because that stuff doesn’t really last,” McCauley said. “But the friendships, the relationships and the family aspect of it, feeling like you’re part of something that’s bigger than yourself really lasts, it goes beyond anything you did on the field. I really enjoy that.”
After sitting behind starter Fabian Otte in 2013, McCauley has been the Wolfpack’s starter in goal for the past three seasons. In that span, he has put up impressive numbers for the team.
In 2014, McCauley played 17 out of a possible 18 matches for the Pack and recorded a career-high 72 saves against 22 goals. He also recorded six shutouts and a 6-7-4 record.
The next year, the team improved its record to 8-6-3 with McCauley starting all 17 games. Again he was a force in the net, recording 42 saves while giving up 26 goals. He also played 1,585 out of 1,610 minutes in the goal for the Wolfpack.
For McCauley, his presence in front of the net is not the only important role he plays for the team. He also embraces the responsibility of being a leader for some of the younger players.
McCauley emphasizes the importance of including the underclassmen in things the team does, and teaching them how to adjust to the faster and more physical play of the college game.
“It does take a little bit of time,” McCauley said in regards to adjusting to the pace of college soccer. “But the more and more you can drive them on and encourage them because you know they have potential to be better, and remind them that the physical aspect of the game is a huge bump up. They’ll be more and more prepared if they can really get that down.”
McCauley is not only a leader on the field, but in the classroom as well, studying business administration. He was named to the All-ACC Academic team both of the last two seasons. To qualify for the All-ACC Academic team, you must have a semester GPA and cumulative GPA at or above a 3.0.
For student-athletes at the collegiate level, time is of the essence. Most student-athletes practice early in the morning, attend class during the day and travel to games in the evening. A lot of times, student-athletes find themselves using any and all spare time to get caught up on homework and studying.
According to McCauley, the biggest reason for his success in the classroom is time management and being intentional about planning out his schedule. He also knows the importance of excelling academically.
“If we don’t perform in school we can’t be on this team,” McCauley said. “It’s a privilege to be on this team. We are students before athletes.”
With only a handful of games left in the regular season for State, McCauley will be making his final starts for the Pack in the coming weeks. With his college career drawing to a close, McCauley is looking ahead to the future. His main focus is continuing to play soccer at the next level.
“I would like to play professionally whatever that looks like,” McCauley said. “Right now I just want a chance to try and play, and if a place gives me an opportunity and I make the team that’s great.”
Becoming a professional athlete requires a tremendous amount of hard work and determination. McCauley acknowledges that head coach Kelly Findley and the rest of the coaching staff are there to help him accomplish his goals.
“He’ll back me up with the connections that he has,” McCauley said about Findley. “I know that [the coaches] are invested in me enough that they want to see that happen and whatever they can do, they’ll do it for me.”
McCauley is also aware that the chances of him playing professionally are not a guaranteed deal. He shared some uplifting news regarding backup plans after graduation.
“If a professional position doesn’t work out, I’m really looking at sports ministry,” McCauley said. “I became a Christian here in college and that’s been the biggest impact beyond sports, is my relationship with God. So, I want to use sports to be able to share that with others.
Whether McCauley goes on to play professionally in the game that he loves or instead finds himself in sports ministry, his tenure at NC State with the men’s soccer team has been a journey.
Being a student-athlete at a Division I university in a sport such as soccer is no easy task for anyone, in either the physical portion or the academic portion. However, McCauley has uniquely excelled on both sides of the spectrum. Whatever path presents itself after graduation, he should have no problem excelling there as well.
