On Oct. 21, 2021, the Guilfordian interviewed Adrian Pineda, a first-year student and left-winger on Guilford’s men’s soccer team. Pineda is majoring in Business Administration. He enjoys making memories with friends and family and practicing his soccer skills.

Q: What determined your decision to come to Guilford and play on the men’s soccer team? 

A: Before committing to Guilford I came on a visit and met Coach Corey Speed and some soccer players from the team. They immediately made me feel like I was at home and also, the campus was beautiful when I first saw it. I knew Guilford was where I wanted to continue my athletic and academic career. 

Q: What’s your typical day like as an athlete?

A: I wake up at 6:30 a.m. and head to soccer practice. My teammates and I begin practice at 7 a.m., and it lasts about an hour and a half. After practice, we all go get breakfast and then I head back to my room to take a shower. I then get ready for class. After class, I usually come back to my room to do homework. On Monday’s I usually finish classes at 5:15 p.m. After that, I go down to one of the practice fields and train on my own, and work on whatever Coach advises me to do. I then go get dinner and come back to my room to rest up and get ready for my next 6:30 a.m. practice. 

Q: What position do you play on the field, and if you had to switch positions, what position would you play? 

A: I play left wing, and if I had to switch positions, I would play as a center attacking mid. I used to play center attacking mid in high school and I liked playing that position because I was more involved in the game and I had more options to run around; I could run wide or run-up. 

Q: What do you like to do when you’re not in class or at soccer practice?

A: I like to go on runs and stay active. If I’m not active I watch Netflix or hang out with my teammates. 

Q: Do you go back home often, and if so, what’s the best part about going home? 

A: I usually go home on the weekends. The best part is getting to spend time with my family and friends. We usually catch up on what I’ve been doing at Guilford, and what they’ve been up to. I also play soccer back home with my friends. I enjoy playing with them because we all grew up playing on the same team or playing pick-up with each other almost every day.

Q: Are there any fun facts about you that nobody knows about?

A: A fun fact about me would be that I used to play the accordion and the bass guitar when I had free time during my senior year of high school. I learned a couple of songs with the help of my little brother because he also plays the guitar. 

Q: Who’s your favorite soccer player?

A: My favorite soccer player would have to be Lionel Messi. I grew up watching him as a kid. He’s just an incredible player, and one of my dreams is to see him play in person before he retires.

Q: Who can you count on to go to for anything?

A: I know I can count on any of my friends. I choose my friends wisely. I know I can trust them and they can trust me. I don’t have just one specific person to go to. All my friends that have seen me at my lowest and stuck with me are the ones who are irreplaceable. 

Q: What is your favorite memory of 2021?

A: One of my favorite memories for 2021 would be going to Carowinds the week after graduation with some of my good friends. We were there all day. We got the fast lane passes so we didn’t have to wait in line. We got on most rides and even went to the water park.