Alex Carter began his collegiate career with the Vermont State University Johnson Badgers as one of the top North Atlantic Conference 2025 players to watch. The BFA-St. Albans’ defenseman started in 11 games, including seven in-conference contests.
Q&A with Alex Carter
What did it mean to you coming in as a preseason player to watch in the NAC? Knowing that meant that I had a standard to uphold; I went in knowing that I’m a good player and I have the opportunity to impact my team.
What inspired you to attend VTSU Johnson? When I was doing college visits, the school had the most welcoming team and coaching staff, and it seemed like a great place to connect with people. I also appreciate how close it is to home; I get to see family often, and they’ve attended almost all of my games.
What inspired you to study mathematics? I wanted to study mathematics because working with numbers is my strong suit. When I’m working with numbers, I feel like I’m doing what I love.
What was the biggest transition for you from high school to college soccer? It’s a lot more organized, and the level of play has increased. Everyone is good. I feel more connected with the people because we’re always hanging out together, even outside of practices and games.
Do you have a memorable moment from your freshman year? I like hanging out with my teammates outside of soccer. On the field, it was our first scrimmage of the season against Russell Sage. I got a concussion and missed the second scrimmage. I laugh at it because I was the newbie and got a concussion on the first day.
How have you been able to impact the team in your first year? I feel like I’m not the loudest, but I put in the work and am trying to bring people up.
What have you enjoyed about working with your coaches? Our coaches are good guys. The drills they run are very similar to those in high school, but the intensity and quality people put into them are a lot higher. The coaches are always demanding more. You have to keep going harder and harder.
What positions have you played? I was a center back in high school, and now I’m a right back. I really enjoy tackling people and taking the ball from them, looking cool while doing it.
What do you love about the game of soccer? I love how simple it is, yet at the same time, it’s very complex. There are so many different tactics and perspectives. It’s interesting to discuss and collaborate with others. I love working with the team and bettering the team as a whole. You can start with the basics — kicking the ball and being in open space —and add on little details, such as give-and-gos, combinations, and foot skills. There are so many different tactics.
How did your time at BFA-St. Albans help prepare you for your college career? I learned I needed to be disciplined and that not everything can be the way I saw it. Throughout high school, I was shy and quiet, but in my senior year, I became louder and more talkative. That helped me prepare to be more outgoing. I engaged with people a lot more in college than I did in high school, so playing soccer prepared me for that.
What did you enjoy about playing club soccer? I played for Far Post, and the level in club soccer was intense, which helped me prepare for the physicality of college soccer.
What are your goals for the coming years? My biggest goal in the next years would be for the team to win a championship. We’ve been struggling a bit, so I’d like to win something big with this team. My main goal is to have fun. Sometimes I get in my head, and that makes me think I’m not enjoying the experience. I want to be able to relax and have fun with the game.
Do you have advice for younger players? I think the biggest thing is not to look down on yourself or anyone else. Trust yourself and know you’re trying your best. Be disciplined and have a good heart; go into every situation with a positive attitude — an attitude that you’re trying to improve everyone around you and yourself.
Do you have someone who inspires you in soccer? Cristiano Ronaldo is my favorite player. When I was a kid, he was always this big guy, and the way he portrayed his work rate and his success made me love the game of soccer.
My dad, Robert, also inspires me because he’s the one who always kept me going to play soccer. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to play, but he always encouraged me to do so. He told me I would end up liking it, and I’m definitely enjoying it.
What does it mean to you to have your parents watch your college games? My parents coming to the game keeps me motivated to keep playing. I like the game — it makes me happy, and it makes my family happy, and that’s what I want.
Do you have any people you’d like to thank? I’d like to thank my friend Io Binder, my dad, Robert, my mom, Sandra, my college coach, Alec Brigante, my high school coaches, Luke Laroche, and Kyle Ashton. They’re all people who helped me step out of my comfort zone, encouraged me to interact with others, and helped me develop my character.
