Boys soccer: A natural born leader, Damodaran does it all for Stevenson on and off the field
While goal-scorers might take all the plaudits, it's often said defenses help win games and titles in the modern game.
A strong defender is important to any successful team. Sorting out the back line is crucial and having some serious talent within is a surefire way to build a team destined for success.
Mohit Damodaran is all the above, and more, as well as a player that all teams would want.
The Stevenson senior left an everlasting imprint on the Patriots and their coach Pepe Jon Chavez with his leadership qualities, work ethic, determination, resolve, on-field performance, loyalty to his captaincy and a commitment to his academics.
Damodaran, the epitome of a true leader, is the Captain of the Daily Herald’s 2024 Lake County All-Area team thanks to all that's listed above, and more.
"There were a lot of good players in the NSC alone, so when coach Chavez told me of this honor, the first thing I said was, ‘No way, me?" recounts Damodaran.
"(Mohit) is first class all the way: shakes all staff hands, looks you square in the eye as a daily routine before and after all events, and radiates confidence through his positive look on life," said Chavez.
"Mohit grew tremendously over the summer in physical strength, and with the graduation loss of our center-back Alex Huelsman, I trusted him to be the voice of the middle of our backline this year," said Chavez.
"Even though I wasn't with the varsity on our 2022 fourth place state team, I was able to observe Steve Nyc, who I felt was the perfect center-back, and natural born leader, and an amazing player who I learned so much from," Damodaran said.
Nyc was named Captain of the 2022 All-Area team, and the only Patriot who played more minutes than Damodaran since then.
In Damodaran, you're going to get a player with energy, passion, and the ability to press and win balls, particularly in the air at an extraordinarily high success rate.
"The timing of his headers is ridiculous as he's not tall (5-9), yet he's near perfect with his wins in the air," said Chavez.
In his two seasons with the big club, Damodaran, twice named all-NSC and all-sectional, has been a key figure in 15 shutouts, 1.05 goals against, two regional titles, and an impressive 28-8-6 overall record.
Damodaran enjoys a busy and rewarding life outside of soccer which includes a demanding academic schedule as well as being a member of the orchestra where he plays the violin.
He also belongs to the Malayali Association of Greater Chicago (MAGC), a non-profit organization in which he takes part in several cultural events during the course of the year.
Damodaran is a member of the KEY Club which is a service organization which provides support to children, seniors and other community programs within the Stevenson area.
"The student-athlete life is challenging to all players, but I am continually impressed on how Mohit finds balance to be so strong on the field, while his academics at Stevenson remain incredibly high in an extremely challenging environment," said Chavez.
Damodaran lists Northwestern, Purdue and UIC as his top three college destinations with an eye of earning a degree in computer science.
"The plan is to pursue a job in the IT field that focuses on helping underprivileged areas access technology in a more safe and efficient way," said this year’s Lake County All-Area Captain.