Hard work pays off for Mondoux

by Matthew Ondesko: Managing Editor

The alarm clock goes off early in the morning, you get up and start your journey. You grab your soccer equipment, your bag of balls, and head on out to the field.

As you pull up there is no one there, why would there be? It’s first thing in the morning. You are out there working on your craft while everyone else is sleeping.

You are trying to become the best version of yourself. You have the desire to be the very best. So, as you run through your drills that you set up for yourself, you have big dreams. You have dreams to play at the next level.

You have been good enough to do it at the high school level all these years. You have been a dominate presence on the Grand Island High School soccer team, now you want to prove yourself in college.

At a very young age Jojo Mondoux knew what she wanted to do with her soccer career. Ever since she laced up those cleats for the very first time, Mondoux wanted to be the very best. She has had that desire to prove that she can play with the top competition every time she stepped on the pitch.

Those early morning workouts are a testament to the type of player she wanted to be. The driving to Rochester four days a week, to play for her club team, showed the type of determination she had.

So, when it came to her National Signing Day, there was no surprise that Mondoux was going to realize her dream of playing Division I college soccer. It wasn’t a matter of if, but where she was going to play.

Mondoux had a lot of school’s looking to add her to their roster, but it was Kent State that that caught her attention.

“Committing to play Division I soccer at Kent State University was a huge decision for me. Growing up playing a high level of soccer I’ve always dreamed about playing at a colligate level, so I began looking into colleges that I wanted to focus my recruiting efforts on. When doing my research, Kent State ranked at the top of my list after looking into its soccer program and academics,” stated Mondoux. “Soon after sending many emails and videos to a variety of schools, I selected my top schools to visit for ID camps where I would be able to showcase the talent and skills I bring to the field. Visiting Kent State for the first time in real life was magical as I fell in love with the environment. I could see all of the excellent facilities, dedicated coaching staff, and supportive community that I hadn't seen anywhere else. I ended up visiting Kent State a few times before making my decision. On my last visit before committing I was granted the incredible opportunity to have the coaching staff show me around and go into depth about Kent State and what life would look like there. I also got to meet many of the players and then watch them play once again. The coaching staff and players made me feel very welcome and valued when interacting with them all. In addition, their vision for the team aligns perfectly with my goals as a player. The soccer program itself is very competitive and you are always being pushed to reach your fullest potential. For the schooling aspect, the academic services offer a lot of support to student-athletes and will help me build my future. They have many courses revolving around the major I’m looking to focus on for a possible career.”

The recruiting process is an interesting one for the high school students. They are asked to make a decision on their career at a nearly age. They are asked to look ahead to their future when it comes to academics, and athletics, and make a decision that suits them.

During the process, Mondoux learned a lot about herself. As she was emailing coaches, Mondoux just felt more determined than ever.

“Going through the recruiting process, I have learned a lot about myself. The more emails and interactions I had with college coaches showed me how determined and ambitious of a person I am. There was never a time when I wasn’t working on an email or piecing together a film for all of these colleges,” stated Mondoux. “After every game I played in, I was always quick to hop right onto the film to observe my plays to showcase and clip. With the recruiting process, I also realized that it’s important to stay true to myself. It was a self-discovery journey as I researched which environments and programs would help support my goals on and off the field.”

Mondoux’s journey started at Grand Island High School. There she honed her skills, made life long friends and won some games. High School soccer was different. It was a different chapter in her life.

It was a meaningful chapter. It helped her became the person she is today. It helped her become more and more determined. It helped her to tackle the challenges that will be put in front of her as she begins her college journey.

“My time playing on the Island has been such a meaningful chapter of my soccer journey. While our team didn’t always end up on top, there were so many great lessons learned and growth from me as I’ve learned the importance of leadership, perseverance, and teamwork. Playing high school soccer is a completely different environment from the top level I’m used to playing in,” stated Mondoux. “There were times when we would struggle as a team or have a difficult time getting used to playing together, but no matter what I pushed through those tough moments and never gave up. I’ve learned the effectiveness of communication and how guiding those on the field can be beneficial for results. These experiences have given me the determination and resilience to tackle new challenges and I’m so excited to bring these skills and mindset to my college team next year.”

If you watch Mondoux on the pitch you see the type of player she is. For high school, Mondoux played as a forward . She was making those darting runs through the box, trying to get open up top.

For her club team, Mondoux was an attacking midfielder. She was seeing the entire field. She knew how to think like a forward because of high school, but play in the midfielder because of club.

Her soccer IQ is off the chart. It’s all about reading the field and anticipating the play before it happens. When Mondoux is on the pitch, she is constantly looking at everything that is going on. She is trying to make the right play, or make the correct run.

“Having a great soccer IQ is very beneficial on the field as it is all about reading the game and anticipating every next move. When on the pitch, I’m constantly analyzing everybody’s movements, which include mine, my teammates, and my opponents. Analyzing movement helps me predict where the ball will likely go and what the best options are for what I do next,” stated Mondoux. “When in the game, it’s always about staying one step ahead so I can prepare myself for my next move. When I play, you can see how I prepare myself ahead of the play as I get the ball on my foot and find either that through-ball, pass, or shot that nobody was anticipating. This ability has always been something I’ve excelled with and will be valuable as I move on to play in college.”

As college approaches, Mondoux knows there are still things she needs to work on. Everything she has done in high school doesn't mean anything as she is preparing for the next level. There is still work to be done if she wants to be a contributor right away.

Mondoux knows she needs to work on her maintenance and her fitness to be able to compete at the next level. She will still need to work on her strength. The soccer stuff will come easy. It’s the little things that will make her better.

“Going in as a freshman for Kent State next season, I know that's going to take a lot of preparation and dedication. One key component I’ll need to focus on is the maintenance and advancement of fitness to keep up at the high colligate level. In relation to fitness I’ll have to focus on strengthening my muscles ensuring that I’m physically matched up with these players who do strength training constantly on top of playing,” stated Mondoux. “As I play to prepare myself I need to concentrate on progressing my technical skill and tactical aspects of the game in order to adapt quickly to the team’s style of play. Going in, I’ll need to be open-minded and willing to learn off my teammates, building great connections with my teammates and coaches. Overall, I plan to make a positive impact by putting in the work, staying committed, and being adaptable.”

Being adaptable is something Mondoux has been used to since she laced up the cleats. Whether it’s playing up top for Grand Island, or attacking in the midfield, Mondoux has the game that can play at the next level.

“For Grand Island soccer I’ve always been a forward, but my main position outside of high school is an attacking midfielder. For almost every season for Grand Island I have been played as a forward and have understood the importance of making those dart runs so I can get myself in the position where my midfielders can feed me the ball. When I’m up top, I am always analyzing the opposing team's back line, picking out gaps and spacing to make my runs. At the same time, I am aware of how high they hold their line so that I am not in an offside position,” stated Mondoux. “Being a forward is a dynamic role that requires a lot of moving and awareness. This last season with Grand Island we were struggling in the middle of the field so I asked to be placed in my typical position half of the time to not only throw teams off but to distribute the ball up the field so that the ball wasn’t stuck in our half the entire game. Playing in the midfield gives me more of the chance to control the game and connect with those attackers to get goal-scoring opportunities. I love being a part of those build-up plays and then sprinting my way up the field to get myself in a scoring position. My vision and decision-making on the field have been a great way to contribute to the team and all of these factors have helped me understand the game even more.”

It’s also helped her become the leader she is today. Over the years, Mondoux grew into the positions. She wanted to make sure she brought in the young girls, and helped them understand what playing for Grand Island soccer was all about.

She was leader that you could count on. She showed everyday at practice and wanted to be the very best. Girls looked up her, they looked up to her work ethic.

“As a captain and leader on the Grand Island soccer team, I made sure to take in the younger girls under my wing as it is important to help them develop their skills and confidence when they play in order to continue the success of Grand Island soccer. Each day, whether it was a game or practice, I made sure to show up as well as encourage them to compete so that they were putting in the work to improve individually,” stated Mondoux. “I also showed up every day with a positive and motivating attitude to ensure we were in a great environment that we would all want to develop in. These younger girls are the future of Grand Island so it was important for me to show the high intensity they should be competing at every day as well as the environment they should keep up.”