Cole Heilman, a senior forward for Bexley High School, who led Central Ohio in scoring with 27 goals and 14 assists, is looking forward to showcasing his skills at the Shale Soccer Classic.
“I’m excited to see the other competition and see what I can do against the best high school players from all-around.”
The Shale Soccer Classic, which will take place July 25th, will include two high school all-star matches and a professional friendly starring the USL’s Dayton Dutch Lions FC. All in all, the Shale Soccer Classic will feature around 60 players, ranging from high school players to former professional and collegiate athletes.
The boys showcase Heilman will be playing in features some of the best high school talent in the country, including a large number of the best players in Northeast Ohio, and will be the closing event of the showcase, taking place at 6:30 pm.
While there are a lot of things Heilman can bring to the table, the Bexley product is looking to put his playmaking ability on center stage during the event.
“I want to showcase my offensive and attacking abilities,” Heilman said, “whether that’s scoring (myself) or giving assists.”
Heilman has no trouble scoring by himself or creating chances for his teammates as proven by his 27 goals and 14 assists to lead Bexley High School in scoring in 2014. Those are some important statistics that led them to a district title.
Heilman believes his best ability is his vision, and being able to see things others don’t and create opportunities. Despite his confidence in his skills, Heilman recognizes that there is a constant need to improve in other areas of the game.
“I need to improve my communication,” Heilman added.
Coming into fall’s high school soccer season, Heilman will have a great opportunity to improve not only his communication, but his leadership skills as well. The Bexley High School Lions are now significantly younger, and the senior says his main individual focus is to develop his leadership abilities.
“We (will) have a young team, so I’m trying to lead the team and make the others better,” Heilman said.
History says that it’s likely Heilman will be able to make others around him better, as not only has he led his high school team to a Top 10 ranking in Ohio at the Division II level, Heilman has had success on the club level as well.
Ohio Premier, Heilman’s club team, won the State Cup in 2014 and just recently went to regionals in Wisconsin, where they suffered a setback to a strong Chicago-based club.
Looking ahead in his career, Heilman hopes to play soccer collegiately and has received offers at the NAIA, NCAA Division II, and Division I levels, but is hoping to receive offers from other Midwest schools according to his father, Tom Heilman.
Cole’s criteria for selecting a college are simple. “I want to go to a school I could enjoy even if I wasn’t playing soccer,” Heilman remarked. He also added that he wants to play at the highest level and against the best competition he can.
The Shale Soccer Classic, full of young soccer talent, will surely give Heilman and fans an idea about what he can do against top-tier competition.
