« Men’s Soccer 2013

James Beeston

School
Siena
Position
Midfield
Major
English
G
5
A
4
PTS
14

Classroom

Beeston enters his senior year possessing a stellar 3.6 cumulative GPA while majoring in English and minoring in Business. Following his junior season he was named an NSCAA Third Team Scholar All-American and an NSCAA Scholar All-East Region Second Team selection. Thanks in large part to his personal performance in the classroom, the men’s soccer program received an NSCAA Team Academic Award last fall for posting a cumulative team GPA of 3.38 which was the 12th highest amongst all Division I schools. Beeston has been named to both the MAAC All-Academic and MAAC Academic Honor Roll teams each season. Additionally, he has been named to either the Siena College President’s List (Fall 2010, Fall 2012) or Dean’s List (Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Spring 2013) in all six of his collegiate semesters to date. This summer he completed an unpaid internship at the Latham Circle Soccer Club where he designed a seasonal plan for the travel coaches intended for their upcoming season.

Character

Beeston has been nominated by his peers and elected by his coaches as Siena Soccer’s captain three times for his sophomore, junior and senior seasons. He has been a tremendous leader both on and off the field. Beeston has been looked up to and helped immerse his fellow international teammates and is respected and revered by the rest of his team and coaches. He is the recipient of the Sports Leader UK Level 1 Award in Sports Leadership, is Football Association (FA) Level 1 and 2 coaching qualified and attained the prestigious UEFA “B” soccer coaching qualification at the age of 19, making him one of the youngest in England at the time to have attained it. On Beeston’s character, Siena College Men’s Soccer Head Coach Cesar Markovic said, “James is a rare young man in today’s world. He is a completely selfless leader to his peers both on and off the field. He leads by example. His example is always so far above any normal expectation. James’ work ethic is superb. He is a leader as a player on the field, in the locker room and in the classroom. He has been fantastic in working with disabled children and any and all community service that the team has done. James Beeston personifies a true captain and he is a model Siena Saint to everyone who crosses his path.”

Community

Beeston is an active participant and has personally taken the lead in numerous Siena Athletics’ “Saints in the Community” department initiatives. He, along with his teammates, played a significant role in Siena winning the 2011-12 MAAC Pepsi Refresh Goodworks Challenge for performing the most community service hours of any school in the conference. Locally, he has volunteered for youth clinics, the Albany Shooting Stars and Friendship Circle – programs which spend time and play sports with disabled youth, and the Albany Urban Scholars which is an organization that brings middle school students from the City School District of Albany to Siena for enrichment experiences that promote their talents and gifts. Along with his teammates he has participated in Siena’s annual Festa Vino fundraiser, “Dig Pink” game which raised money and awareness for breast cancer, and cooked dinner at the local Ronald McDonald House. Back home in England, Beeston coached the Port Vale Centre of Excellence U-9 team and was named the North Staffordshire Apprentice of the Year in 2010. On campus he works the front desk at the Marcelle Athletic Complex where he assists in the upkeep and preparation of Siena’s indoor and outdoor facilities and also staffs numerous sporting events. Additionally, he has been a two-year member of Siena’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee.

Competition

Throughout his first three years, Beeston has left an indelible mark on the Siena Men’s Soccer program. Prior to his arrival in 2010, the program had posted just one 10-win season in 36 years. Not only have the Saints posted 10 wins in two of his three years with the program, but Beeston also played a key role in Siena earning its first two ever wins over nationally ranked opponents during his sophomore season. Beeston has played in 52 career games, starting 51 at the crucial position of center midfield. He enters his senior season with 31 career points which includes 21 assists – second most in program history. As a freshman, he was named Siena College’s Male Rookie of the Year and a MAAC All-Rookie Team selection after scoring 17 points. That fall, Beeston tied for both the team and MAAC lead with nine assists which ranked him tied for 19th nationally and tied for the program single season record. During his sophomore season he was named to the Penn State Nike Classic All-Tournament Team after leading the Saints to an upset victory over 15th ranked Ohio State. Last season Beeston once again led the MAAC in assists for a second time in his career dishing out eight helpers and was named to the Brown Soccer Classic All-Tournament Team. He led the Saints to their best-ever conference winning percentage (.857) and was named a First Team All-MAAC, All-MAAC Tournament Team and NSCAA All-North Atlantic Third Team selection in 2012.