Bullying, hazing and the making of a ‘soccer president’: Donald Trump’s forgotten career on the pitc

D rive north from New York City and into the Hudson valley. Take Exit 17 and follow Route 7 as it heads south along the river, past the abandoned shipyard and the aptly named Cadet Motel. Hang a left after a few miles, wind up a long driveway and you’ll arrive at New York Military Academy.

Hundreds of students used to attend this place, but that number has dwindled to a few dozen; most of the 50 or so buildings on campus have fallen into disrepair and many seem entirely abandoned. Come here after dark and you’ll start to feel a little uneasy. A bit further down the main drive, past the boarded-up houses where faculty and staff used to live, there’s a forlorn soccer field. The school hasn’t fielded a team for years, but this place holds some importance. On it, Donald Trump took some of his first steps toward becoming what some have called the United States’ first “soccer president”. It’s a title affixed to Trump in no small part because he was in office in 2018 when the US, along with Canada and Mexico, was awarded the 2026 World Cup . Somewhat unexpectedly, he’ll also be in office when the tournament kicks off this summer. He has welcomed international and domestic club teams to the White House and presented the Club World Cup trophy to Chelsea last summer before awkwardly lingering around on stage. Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Lionel Messi have all visited with Trump; the latter was made into wallpaper while Trump went on a rant about the war in Iran. Fifa’s president Gianni Infantino at times seems glued to the US president. A photo of the New York Military Academy soccer team, featuring Donald Trump. But it’s a fact that in 1963/64, his senior year of high school at NYMA, Trump played on the school’s soccer team.

Key points

• Hundreds of students used to attend this place, but that number has dwindled to a few dozen; most of the 50 or so buildings on campus have fallen into disrepair and many seem entirely abandoned.
• Come here after dark and you’ll start to feel a little uneasy.
• A bit further down the main drive, past the boarded-up houses where faculty and staff used to live, there’s a forlorn soccer field.
• The school hasn’t fielded a team for years, but this place holds some importance.
• On it, Donald Trump took some of his first steps toward becoming what some have called the United States’ first “soccer president”.