MAGAZINE HONORS SOCCER STANDOUT

Zac MacMath, 15, of St. Petersburg has been named part of Parade magazine's All-America High School Boys Soccer Team this year.

"It's pretty much the best kids in America, so it's a pretty big honor," he said.

MacMath, a goalkeeper for the under-17 National Team, attends IMG Academies in Bradenton, where he will be a junior next year.

IMG is an academy where students from around the world come to focus on training for a variety of sports. He lives there but grew up in St. Petersburg. He also has played for St. Petersburg High School and various leagues around Pinellas County.

MacMath said he has been playing soccer much of his life and loves the game and the travel it affords him.

In August, the National Team he plays for is going to the U17 World Cup in South Korea, after having defeated Trinidad and Tobago, Canada and Costa Rica in qualifiers in Jamaica.

"The last year we've probably been to eight different countries," he said.

His plans for the future: "I hope to be a pro soccer player as soon as possible, really." MacMath said he was impressed with the lifestyle and outlook of the pro players he had met.

He may get his chance when he travels to Germany to try out for a professional team. He said they contacted his coach after seeing him play in Jamaica.

MacMath said he plans to finish high school and attend college, but anything is possible. If the opportunity arises to become a professional, he isn't sure he would wait.

Nick Johnson can be reached at nickjohnson@sptimes.com or 893-8361.