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Athlete of the Month: Brandon Beat

In a sport where it is illegal for players to touch the ball with their hands, perhaps the biggest impact on the game is made by the one who can. For Brandon Beat, senior goalkeeper of the Westminster varsity soccer team, this is a fact.

“Being a goalie is very pressure filled. I am the last man back, and if I make a mistake and the opposing team scores, it can be game changing.” said Beat. While many people wilt under this type of pressure, Brandon has embraced it, posting five shutouts through ten games, winning the Metro League Tournament, and leading the Wildcats to a 6-2-1 record all in his first year of being Varsity’s starting goalkeeper.

Brandon’s success should come as a surprise to no one, considering the countless hours of practice and hard work he has put in ever since his elementary days. He grew up all his life playing soccer and for as long as he can remember, goalkeeper has always been his spot.

“I knew right away during my first year of soccer that the only position I really wanted to play was goalie,” said Beat, adding “I had to rotate and play the field like everyone else did back then, but when coach used to tell me I was going to be in goal, I would get so excited.”

Brandon continues to log some playing time out as a position player for Westminster, but knows his true calling is goaltending. And while some might think playing goal is boring and uneventful, Beat knows this is not true.

“There’s a lot more to being a goalie than you might think.” said Brandon. “Goaltenders must read the whole field and be constantly talking with their defense. They have to communicate and make sure everyone knows what they’re doing, and then we have to actually play and make saves and dive and run. It’s a lot of work.”

Brandon loves this work, however, and although goaltending is physically taxing on one’s body (Beat admits he ends up with bruises and injuries at the end of most games), he believes it’s all worth it to make those crucial saves.

At the beginning of the soccer season, Brandon set several goals for himself and for the soccer team, and as the Wildcat’s soccer season nears a midway point, Brandon feels he has been achieving most of the goals he set so far.

“Every game I have the same mindset and goals I want to accomplish, and those are to give up the least amount of goals possible and to do everything in my power to help us win.” he said.

But Brandon’s ultimate goal?

“Well obviously winning districts would be great, but winning a state championship would be even better!” said Beat, smiling.  

As the Wildcats continue their season and make a run for a state title with Brandon in goal, perhaps the question we should be asking is, can Brandon be Beat?