His parents and grandparents stand frozen on the sidelines, paralyzed with anticipation. They watch, mesmerized, as he dribbles down the field, dodging defenders and making his way toward the goal. Suddenly, the sidelines erupt in cheers, and alumnus Will Richmond scores his first goal for Stanford University.

After starting his soccer career in elementary school, Richmond found success at an elite level, and he hopes to continue playing soccer for years to come. However, his journey has not been without sacrifices.

Personal trainer and professional soccer player Nikolai Littleton said that he first met Richmond about ten years ago, and he was amazed by his natural talent.

“He had the rare combination of natural skill, physicality, and work ethic,” Littleton said. “You know, a lot of people might have one or two, but he really does have all three.”

Richmond said that his team approaches training with the understanding that nothing is guaranteed. When he starts training, he focuses on getting better so that the team can demonstrate why they are considered to be an elite program.

“It’s nice to say [that] we’re one of the best programs, but in the end, it doesn’t really matter until you show it,” Richmond said.

According to Stanford Athletics, the men’s soccer team won three NCAA championships in a row, from 2015 to 2017.

“Freshman year was definitely different than I had anticipated,” Richmond said. “Soccer was definitely taken way more seriously than my club team. You have so much more responsibility, and you’re accountable for a lot of things, which definitely reflects how well the team has done in the past decade.”

Richmond said that despite being a Division I student-athlete, he does not experience many privileges within his academic and athletic experience. As a result, he works hard to separate the different aspects of his life.

“You’re not always going to go out to practice with the best mindset,” Richmond said. “You’ll be upset because you didn’t do that well on a quiz or you’re stressed about all the homework you have to do. [It’s helpful] to go to practice and just focus on getting better and compartmentalizing different parts [of your life], especially when you have so much other stuff going on.”

Before he got to Stanford, Richmond said that he followed a strict training schedule in order to continue improving his natural skills.

“His natural talent is very, very rare,” Littleton said. “That was something that I identified early, and if we can get this kid’s first touch and his soccer IQ a little better, then he could be really special, and he ended up being very, very skillful.”

In high school, Richmond said that his life revolved around soccer, which required him to rearrange his schedule to accommodate practices and games. Richmond played for the San Jose Earthquakes youth academy, which meant he drove an hour and a half to practice four times a week.

“I would get back at 11 or so, and then I would do that every day,” Richmond said. “I don’t think I really realized how much it was until I got to college and my practice is a five-minute bike ride from my dorm.”

According to Stanford Athletics, Richmond played in 19 games and made ten starts his freshman year, scoring one goal and providing three assists.

“Freshman year, I played against Irvine in the national tournament, and I thought I had a really strong performance,” Richmond said. “That’s one of the times that I think about [before games] when I’m picturing myself and thinking about what I’ve been at the top of my game.”

Although Richmond said that his sophomore season was not his strongest performance, he is still working toward his goals.

“One goal that I have right now is to play professionally,” Richmond said. “To get there, there’s a lot of things that I need to do, whether it’s averaging a goal or assist every game or just starting each game and making a strong contribution.”

Littleton said that he is confident Richmond will be able to play professionally.

“I would rather go against anyone that I’ve ever played [against]. He is the best one v. one player I ever went against,” Littleton said. “He makes me look stupid, and I’m a professional soccer player. That’s just who he is.”

Despite Richmond’s elite level, Littleton said, he remains humble.

“You wouldn’t realize how talented he was by meeting him,” Littleton said. “You see all these guys, you know, all these pro athletes, and he’s just not like that, which I really like and admire about him.”