Andrew Will likes to be the best. Will uses his competitive nature and determination to achieve success both on and off of the soccer field.
Not only is Will a senior varsity soccer player on Columbia College men’s soccer team, but he also has time to squeeze in classes for all three of his majors. Yes, that’s right. He’s a triple major and a varsity athlete.
Achieving this doesn’t sound easy, but with a little time management and organization and a whole lot of encouragement and support from his family, it’s not been a problem for Will.
When Will started at Columbia College in 2006 he set out to be a history major. But after taking his first accounting class, he was hooked. Accounting became major #1. He then became the manager at W.G. Grinders and loved it. Management became major #2. After committing to major in accounting and management, he only had 4 classes to earn a finance degree so he figured why not?
So how does Will handle the demands of being a varsity soccer player and a triple major? Extremely good time management.
“During soccer season, it is a lot easier to stay on top of studies, Will said, “When coach gives us time off in the spring, I have more difficulty.”
The structure that the soccer season provides helps Will manage his time effectively.
“I stay more discipline,” Will said, “I loose track of time in the spring.”
He knows he has a short amount of time to get things done so he knows that he needs to do.
A typical Monday for Will looks something like this: He gets up and volunteers to read to a first grader. He squeezes in study time before his class at noon. Before his second class at 2:00, he studies and does more homework. After a day of class and studying, he heads straight to the training room then to soccer practice until 6:15. He changes and goes to dinner and then heads back to his apartment to study more if he needs to. Phew.
“Then I go to bed and I wake up and do it all over again,” Will said.
Will’s competitive nature fuels his motivation to stay on top of things.
“Since I was little, I thought everything was a competition,” Will said. “That’s the way I’ve always looked at it. I want to be the best.”
A little lax in structure may prove to be a challenge for Will, but his former roommate and teammate, Vinny Aizpurua remains impressed.
“He has a non-stop work ethic, Aizpurua said, “He would do all of his work in between classes.”
Columbia College men’s soccer coach, John Klein is equally impressed.
“Andrew has always had his act together,” Klein said, “He is certainly the type of player you want representing a program.”
What Will is learning from his management major is definitely carrying over to the field.
“He’s leading through the experiences he’s had here and is passing it down to the younger classman,” said Klein.
It certainly helps to have so much support from his teammates and coach, but more important is the support that comes from home.
Although surprised by his son’s initial decision to take on three majors, Jorg Will is confident in his son’s abilities.
“Once he sets a goal, he generally achieves it,” Will said of his son.
That maybe true, but hard work and accountability have been staple’s shown by example in the Will household. Will and his wife, Maria Will, have worked hard in their respective professions. Will as an operations manager for Honeywell in Kansas City and his wife works in IT.
“Both my wife and I work very hard, and our kids have seen that,” Will said.
Will also works hard to support his son’s soccer endeavors. Over the course of the 4 years Will has been playing on the team, his father has missed 15 games.
Not only does Will travel to Columbia from Kansas City for all of his son’s home games, but he tries to make the away match ups as well. He has gone as far as Chicago and Arkansas to see him play, sometimes driving 3 hours to only see Will play for less than a half in a game.
“You want to support your children,” Will said.
There is no doubt that Will’s determination to succeed will continue, and his father supports him.
“I want him to just enjoy life,” Will said.
Will’s been paying attention to the lesson’s his father taught him.
“My parent’s always told me to shoot big,” Will said, “That’s the way I was raised.”
Here some of the pics… Oh I decided to get clever and include Truman the Tiger in some of them 
a little bit better! Back to the newsroom!
