Conestoga’s Kole Wintersteen is Main Line Boys Athlete of the Week (Sept. 25-Oct. 1)

The senior forward led the powerful Pioneers, one of the top boys soccer teams in the state, with seven goals and four assists in the team’s first seven games. Wintersteen was an All-Main Line boys soccer selection last fall. Conestoga boys soccer head coach Dave Zimmerman said, “Kole is a dangerous attacking player because he possesses a rare combination of size and skill.  He is not afraid to use his body to physically overpower defenders, but at the same time, he can beat defenders with a vast array of fakes, moves and turns.  The cherry on top of everything is his ability to shoot the ball with power and precision.”

Q: What are your goals this season? What did you work on most during the past off-season?
A: My goals this year is to become Gatorade Player of the Year, as well as All-American. I’ve trained profusely in the off-season with Sam Lane of Fast Lane Futbol to get ready for this upcoming season.

Q: Last fall, your team was District 1 4A runner-up. What is your favorite memory of the past season?
A: My favorite memory last year was hanging out with our past seniors. They had such a great attitude about our game and the way we do things. It was a pleasure to be around them.

Q: What do you think has been the key(s) to your success so far this season?
A: The keys have been listening to the coaches and what they’ve asked for and executing them correctly. It’s also about having good players around you. That helps a lot.

Q: Tell us about your club soccer experience outside of Conestoga.
A: I now play for Sporting Ac MLS next, which will start after Conestoga season. But my older club is FC Europa and I enjoyed going down to Florida playing high competition at the top facilities in the U.S.

Q: Tell us a little about your start in soccer.
A: I started soccer at WestMont United, and then I moved to Continental FC. I’ve played at different levels from ECNL to DA to USYS. This is when my soccer career started to take off.

Q: Who have been your top soccer mentors, and what was the most important thing you learned from each of them?
A: My first mentor was Colin Kent. He was my head coach for my EC NL team for FC Delco and taught me how to play the role of striker effectively. Another mentor of mine is Paulo Ferreira. He understood that I have the size and speed to play this game, but he wanted to teach me the mental part of the game, and this is what started to slowly separate me and I am forever grateful for him. Another mentor of mine is David Zimmerman. He believed in me my entire time I was here at Conestoga, which gave me the courage to perform at my best all the time he is very passionate about the game. The rest of the Conestoga coaching staff also had a huge impact on me.

Q: Tell us a little about your pre-game preparation the day of a game.
A: My pregame ritual starts the night before, I believe that getting a good night’s sleep is very important. But I will wake up and get a good breakfast and drink plenty of water and set my mind for the game I will watch any film if provided, and listen to my music, that will make me confident and ready to play. Before the game, I don’t talk to anybody, I just put in my headphones, listen to my music and visualize what I’m going to do in the game so I can best help my team win.

Q: You wear uniform jersey No. 28 for Conestoga. Is there a reason you chose that number?
A: The reason why I chose this is simple. I believe that playing for Conestoga was a fresh start for me from club soccer, and I started with No. 28 at my first club in Westmont United. Since I started my soccer career at WestMont with No. 28, I felt I had to start my Conestoga career with No. 28.

Q: What is your favorite academic course at Conestoga? What do you plan to major in at college? Is there a career path that particularly appeals to you at the present time?
A: I really enjoy taking math courses at Conestoga, because I like the challenge. I’m looking into international business, and traveling abroad to different countries to play soccer as well. I’ve always wanted to be my own boss, so I would definitely want to do something entrepreneur-like. I have my own business that I started five years ago, in which I detail cars and clean them. So I’ve always had a knack for business.

Fun facts – Kole Wintersteen
Favorite book: Spider Wick Chronicles.
Favorite author: Robert Greene.
Favorite TV show: Z Nation.
Favorite movie: Nightmare before Christmas.
Favorite athlete: Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Favorite pregame pump song: Wherever I may roam – Metallica.
Favorite team : Bayern Munich.
Favorite place to visit: Germany.

(To be selected as Main Line Boys Athlete of the Week, a student-athlete must first be nominated by his coach.)

To view a gallery of the previous Main Line Boys Athletes of the Week click here