WINCHESTER STAR ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

JAMES WOOD SOCCER PLAYER SPENCER MARFING

April 24, 2012

Spencer Marfing: James Wood High School 18-year-old senior

Sport: Soccer

Position: Forward

Parents: Marie DiLorenzo and Thomas Marfing

Hometown: Winchester

Nickname: I have a few. “Little Boy Blue,” “Spence-Marf,” and “Spence-Cat.” “Little Boy Blue” was from my neighbor. I showed up one time as a little kid wearing a blue shirt, blue shorts, blue socks and blue shoes, so he’s called me “Little Boy Blue” ever since. And the other two are just from my brother’s roommate right now. (Marfing’s brother Nick goes to Virginia Tech.) He said I needed a nickname, so he gave me those [two].

When did you start playing soccer: I was 4 or 5. All my friends did it. I played travel for a little bit. I really just had a terrible time doing it. I wasn’t having much fun and I wasn’t playing a lot, so I actually quit for two years [around age 7]. Then I went back to it, and I think that break got me more passionate about the sport.

What you love about soccer: I love when a game’s flowing just like it should. The calls aren’t taking over, and you’re just able to play the game. That’s how I like it.

Biggest strength and weakness in soccer: Strength, I think I keep my head relatively well. I think a lot of people don’t have that ability, and they’ll blame the refs or blame someone else when they’re never going to change the ref’s decision. Weakness, I’m pretty bad at my defense. I’d like to improve on that.

Sport you always wanted to try: Basketball. I hated basketball for the longest time, but then I just started playing it on the blacktop with no real rules, and I had fun with it.

Most memorable moment in soccer: I scored a tournament-winning goal when I was 14. That will always stick in my memory for sure, because it was my first tournament win and first big goal. That was in Richmond for Winchester United.

Most embarrassing moment in soccer: I think my freshman year I scored an own goal when we played at Millbrook. That tore me apart for a couple of days. We got blown out of the water, but you never like to score an own goal.

Favorite athlete: [Brazilian soccer striker] Ronaldinho. I like his foot skills. He’s really quick. He always seems to have a lot of joy when he’s playing. He always seems to be having fun. I like that about him.

Favorite sports team: New England Patriots

Three people you can have dinner with, dead or alive: Gandhi, [actor] Leonardo DiCaprio, and [actor] Morgan Freeman

Favorite Quote: “Always remember the future comes one day at a time.” — I first heard that a couple months ago when I ran across it on the Internet. I like how it makes me think about life and the future, and what’s to come.

Favorite subject in school: I like my graphics class. It’s my first year doing graphics on the computer, and it’s really interesting to sort of artistically design something on a computer and then have a machine do all the hard technical work.

Plans after high school: My plan is to attend [Virginia Commonwealth University] next year. On my application I put film studies [for a major], but I might flip-flop that with graphics or web design.