On Friday, January 19, Soccer Institute at Montverde Academy (SIMA) Alumni Diego Campos was selected in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft in Philadelphia.  Graduating from MVA in 2014, Campos attended Clemson University and after college graduation in December 2017, he was selected by the Chicago Fire.

“This was my dream ever since I was a 5-year-old kid playing soccer in San Jose, Costa Rica,” said Campos.

Campos thrived at Clemson University such as being named to Clemson's Honor Roll for maintaining a 3.0 GPA or higher during the Spring semester of 2015 and garnishing All-ACC First Team honors in 2017. He is now making a strong preseason performance in Major League Soccer, and Campos gives most of the credit to Montverde Academy (MVA) stating that it was the elite coaching, intense training, and the discipline emphasized at MVA that paved the way for him to be successful in his soccer career.

“I know for sure that if it wasn’t for SIMA, I would not be where I am at right now,” said Campos. “I got better at soccer, I got better in life, and I had a lot of great experiences that made me who I am today.”

According to Campos, the SIMA program at Montverde Academy is not so different from the training and coaching at the professional level, specifically for his new team on the Chicago Fire.

“When I was a part of SIMA, Coach Potempa and many other coaches really pushed me to become better each day,” said Campos. “It is the same at the professional level and I am used to it, which helps me develop more as a player.”

Campos’ next goal is to consistently earn his spot as a starter at Chicago Fire and then earn a spot on the national team.

There are many new challenges Campos will face at the professional level and he is confident that the foundation he received from SIMA will help him achieve his new goals.