Nicky Downs

Classroom

Nicky Downs maintains a 3.83 grade-point average as an economics major at Yale. In his sophomore season, he was named to the CoSida Academic All-District First Team.

Character

Since high school Downs has been involved with a program in Ghana called the Right to Dream Academy, which is a residential soccer academy that identifies talented children in West Africa and provides them with an education and character-development training using soccer as the vehicle. Many Right to Dream graduates attend elite boarding schools across the United States, which is how he first became involved with the program. At the Hotchkiss School, he got to know and played soccer with a number of them. He spent three of his four summers prior to attending Yale at the Right to Dream Academy in Ghana where he assisted in the classroom, editing papers or helping boys work through math problems, etc., as well as training with them on the field.

Community

Downs has been involved in a number of community service projects with his teammates at Yale. He has helped run several youth clinics for local soccer clubs, volunteered at a New Haven food pantry, and spent time with after-school programs at Wexler-Grant Middle School in New Haven.

Competition

Downs is a two-time All-Ivy selection. As of nomination time, he has played in 51 career games, including 42 starts, while scoring five goals and adding 10 assists. As a junior, he tied for the team lead with three assists and was one of five players to appear in all 16 games. In his sophomore season, he was a second-team All-Ivy selection after leading the team in assists (5) and points (11). As a rookie in 2015 he earned honorable mention recognition when he tied for team lead with six points.

As of October 5th, Nicky is having a very strong season. He is one of only four players who has started all eight games for Yale this season. He is second on the team in scoring with nine points (3 goals, 3 assists.) His nine points and three goals are both tied for the fourth most in the Ivy League. He has played 653 minutes, which is third on the team. Yale is off to a strong start with a 4-3-1 overall record, including a 2-2 tie with then No. 4 Michigan State. Down scored the tying goal. It was a highlight reel goal.