Sports Spotlight - Windermere Observer: Andrew Lizyness

One could say Olympia High boys soccer standout Andrew Lizyness is a natural at the sport, and for good reason. The senior is the lead scorer for the Titans so far this season, a team captain and a University of Central Florida commit. He also plays for Orlando-based club team ACYS Spirit United and hopes to play pro soccer someday. 

How long have you been playing soccer?

I’ve been playing soccer since I was about 4 years old. …It was just a small recreation league, and I thought it would be fun to play, and I fell in love, I guess.

Why did you decide to play for UCF?

I decided to commit to UCF, because I really thought that it would be a good place for me. It’s close to home, and I really value my family a lot. I love the way they play — I think they play a lot of possession and a lot of attacking soccer, which works for my style of play. So I think it’s a really good fit for me.

How has it been transitioning to a leadership role for your team?

My dad really stresses being a leader a lot in our family, and so I think this helps me become a leader. Becoming a captain has helped me develop my leadership skills and become a better person on and off the field. It’s helped me in many different aspects — not just in soccer.

What is the best advice you’ve been given?

I think the best advice I’ve ever been given is just to not give up, because I’ve been through a lot of hard times in this sport. … My dad has always told me to never give up, and I think that’s really important to me.

Tell us about the team as a whole this season.

We’re doing really well. We went through a bit of a tough time at the beginning of the season, with tying and losing our first two games. But I think we’ve really worked through that and we’ve gained a few new players (who) have really helped us a lot. I think we’re just starting to gel as a team, and we’ve got a lot of good things going for us at the moment.

What game so far this season has been a highlight for you?

The game that really stuck out to me was our game against West Orange, where we beat them 7-2. They’re definitely one of our biggest rivals. I think it was a really good game for us, because it really showed what we’re capable of.

What’s your favorite Christmas tradition?

Usually in my family, we go to Tampa, because we have some other family there. I like to see all of them, because I don’t really get to see them that often, so it’s nice to have our whole family together.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I’m pretty much all soccer, but I like to work out and play FIFA sometimes.

Do you have a plan of study at UCF?

Right now, I’m in between economics and finance. But I think that I’m leaning more toward finance, because I think it’s more of a specific route than economics. I think that will help me more in the long run.

What do you want to do as a career?

I want to play pro. But I obviously need a back-up plan, so I’m going to do well in school. And if pro doesn’t work out, I’m going to get my master’s degree in either business administration or entrepreneurship.