Courtesy of Sean Elliot
After 67 games, 3228 minutes, 16 goals, and 7 assists at Conn, Elliot Spatz ‘26 will be starting a new chapter of his soccer career in the semi-professional ranks and hopes it will lead him to a professional contract. It has been a fantastic four year career for the forward from Bellevue, Washington but now his time as a Camel has come to a close and Spatz will push his boundaries as an athlete beyond the NCAA. “After graduation, I’ll be playing for Ballard FC, in Washington State, who plays in a league called USL2,” said Spatz. “This goes on just for the summer months. Afterwards, I’ll use my performance in the summer to create a stronger profile and reach out to professional teams with my agent.” Although he does not yet have a long-term home, Spatz will be reaching for the clouds over the next few months and years.
For Spatz this has been a goal of his for a long time now saying, “I’ve been playing semi-professional for a couple years now – this will be my third season at this level. For the professional level, I’ve known that I’ve wanted to get into it for a very long time, probably since I was 12 years old. I became serious about it, however, around the age of 16. Being surrounded by others who have the same goals continues to help push me to strive for success.” His time at Conn has no doubt pushed him further towards this aspiration with the great success he achieved. Spatz was a part of the team that made it all the way to the DIII NCAA Championship final against Amherst last year. He was a key part of that legendary run to the final scoring 4 goals in the tournament including both goals in a tight 2-1 win over Denison in the Elite Eight.
Spatz has been with Ballard FC in the summer for a few years now and hopes they can catapult him into the professional ranks saying, “I have great connections back home and those helped me get a trial for Ballard FC back in 2024. I played really well at the trial and they decided to sign me. From there, Ballard FC’s whole goal is to develop players and send them off into the professional world. They have helped develop my player CV, improve my outreach to teams and agents, and most importantly develop my abilities as a player. I have had great talks with a few agents recently and I decided to work with one who I believe can give me a real opportunity for professional trials. At the end of the day though, it’s up to me to continue to play at a high level and improve all aspects of my game to give myself the best shot at playing professionally.”
Connecticut College Soccer has been very successful throughout Spatz’s time at Conn but as a Student-Athlete there are other responsibilities to attend to that take up much of your time and energy. “Playing at Conn is intense and it’s a high level, but Ballard is on another planet. The coaches, players, and environment as a whole oozes professionalism,” said Spatz “It’s definitely helped change my mindset on what it takes to make it to the next level. It essentially becomes a lifestyle – what you eat, dedication in the gym and on the field, analyzing film, and so much more.” Going forward for Spatz, soccer will become the main priority as all his time and energy will be dedicated to improving his game and performing to the best of his abilities.
The future looks exciting for the Camels’ star forward with a lot to look forward to as he continues chasing his dreams. “I’m looking forward to the whole process. I always remind myself that it’s important that you enjoy playing the sport. In my opinion, there’s no reason to continue pursuing a goal or a dream if it doesn’t give you fulfillment or satisfaction,” said Spatz “I’m excited to play with the guys on Ballard FC this summer. I’ve been playing with some of these guys for over a decade, so it’s great that we can continue to make memories out on the pitch.”
It has been a great four years at Conn for Spatz with lots of memorable moments contributing to the team’s outstanding success in recent years, but he has his eyes squarely on the future now. As uncertain as it may be for Spatz, he is determined to continue to compete at a very high level and push himself to become the best athlete he can be.
