Senior Colin Kamhi prepares for his soccer games with a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast and a Chipotle burrito with extra rice for lunch, a tradition he’s been keeping up for his high school years.
Kamhi moved to the district from Manhattan two years ago, but his soccer career started long before that at eight-years-old. Now, he’s taking his soccer career to the collegiate level and playing for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
“I’m not excited about the cold weather but I think it’s going to be great to be around some of the smartest people and learn a lot from them in the long run,” Kamhi said. “Being in that environment is going to be an incredible experience that you can’t replicate in too many other places.”
He started his recruiting process back in his sophomore year through both individual and team oriented training.
“I went with my club team to showcases, where you fly to a location with a bunch of other teams and play in front of college coaches who come to watch,” Kamhi said. “ I also attended a bunch of ID camps, where I met the MIT coach. ID camps are where individual players fly out, and there are coaches who all meet, so it’s not with your team.”
After touring many college soccer programs, Kamhi made the decision to study business at MIT while playing soccer.
“My goal, knowing I wasn’t going to play professionally, was always to go to college and to try to get a better education using soccer,” Kamhi said.
Kamhi’s recruitment to MIT involved a heavy academic focus, where he not only needed to thrive on the soccer field but in the classroom as well.
“There’s also the academic part—taking hard classes, working with teachers to make sure you’re doing well,” Kamhi said.
When he first moved to Dallas he attended Episcopal School of Dallas, but moved to the district for senior year because of the available Advanced Placement and post-AP courses available.
“So far, my experience has been really good,” Kamhi said. “The teachers are amazing and super helpful. If you don’t get something, they’ll work with you.”
Kamhi’s determination is visible in both his academics and his time on the field. However, collegiate soccer presents an even more difficult challenge.
“Technical skill and the speed of technique are important when playing in college, as each player increases the level of play from high school to college,” head soccer coach Scott Turner said. “The speed of the game is much faster at each incremental level.”
Kamhi’s plays a pivotal role as center midfield. On the field, he connects the offense and defense, filling in the gaps.
“Kamhi selects the best passing options when scanning the field and sees multiple choices,” Turner said. “He has excellent passing technique, but his distribution would be the best word for his strength of play.”
Soccer runs in the Kamhi family. Both Kamhi’s brother and sister play the sport. In addition to strengthening the bonds of family, soccer also serves as a way for Kamhi to connect with his peers.
“Many of my friends play, and we’re competing but there’s also a camaraderie aspect to it,” Kamhi said. “We get to be together which is always fun.”
But to his teammates, Kamhi is more than just a friend. He is also a role model.
“He’s always trying to be better, so he pushes me to be better,” senior Sami Ahmed, Kamhi’s teammate and friend, said. “He’s always trying to perfect everything and I want to be at that level.”
Besides soccer, Kamhi enjoys sporting clays, cooking, running and volunteering at Habitats for Humanity, an organization that provides the tools necessary to build healthy communities.
“He’s a super nice guy, he’s probably one of the nicest people I’ve ever met,” Ahmed said. “He’s a joy to be around and always lifts the spirits of everyone.”
Despite the challenges that lay ahead, Kamhi is optimistic about this new phase of his life doing what he loves, playing soccer.
“Balancing soccer and academics is going to be very challenging next year, but I’m excited and ready for what lies ahead,” Kamhi said.
