Build Above the noise

James Acree

Class of 2028 | Varsity Football K/P | Varsity Soccer CM/CAM (#8/#10) | Palm Beach United ECNL National | Varsity Cross Country & Track & Field

I'm a student-athlete, researcher, and builder pursuing excellence across football, soccer, academics, and innovation. Whether competing on the field, conducting research, or building new projects, I'm driven by curiosity, discipline, and continuous improvement. This is the start.

- ABOUT -

Hi — I'm James. Thanks for stopping by.I'm a Class of 2028 student-athlete, researcher, and builder from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.On the field, I compete in varsity football, varsity soccer, cross country, and track & field while pursuing opportunities to play at the collegiate level. Off the field, I study sports performance, environmental physiology, analytics, business, and technology.I'm the founder of Tactical Thermals, a sports analytics project that explores how heat, altitude, air quality, and other environmental factors influence performance, tactics, injury risk, and decision-making in elite football. The project advanced to the full-paper stage of the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference Research Paper Competition.I'm also building Common Pitch, a global football initiative focused on expanding access to opportunity, knowledge, and player development through community, technology, and open collaboration.When I'm not training, researching, or building, you'll usually find me reading, writing, studying performance data, or chasing the next challenge—whether that's a 75-yard kickoff, a sub-5:00 mile, or a new idea worth pursuing.I believe in grit over hype, data over ego, and building over waiting.This is just the start.Journey So Far:
A living record of what I’m building — and where it’s taken me:2025
▪ Advanced to the full-paper stage of the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference 2026 Research Paper Competition, submitting Predicting Tactical Disruption from Environmental Stress in Elite Soccer — in a global field typically made up of PhDs, analysts, and pro-team data scientists.
▪ Received direct expert feedback from Dr. Christopher T. Minson, Kenneth M. and Kenda H. Singer Endowed Professor of Human Physiology at the University of Oregon and Chief Science Officer at NatureQuant LLC, after he reviewed early research materials and draft concepts for Predicting Tactical Disruption from Environmental Stress in Elite Soccer — noting that “environmental considerations are paramount to athletic performance… They can greatly impact cognitive function, decision-making, and recovery.”
▪ Selected for the highly competitive Harvard International Relations Scholars Program — one of the youngest participants — deepening my understanding of diplomacy, power, and global systems
▪Published submission to the 2025 John Locke Institute Global Essay Competition (Philosophy) — exploring fairness, merit, and access through sport and society.
▪ Completed the Harvard AI Bootcamp, a selective program focused on applying machine learning and AI tools to real-world problems
▪ Leveled up via DeepLearning.AI’s Prompt Engineering for Developers — now teaching LLMs to talk tactics and build smarter, faster workflows
▪ Earned the CFA Investment Foundations® Certificate — building a foundation in financial systems that’s shaping how I approach funding for Common Pitch and market analysis in Tactical Thermals.
▪ Earned a Palantir Foundry certification, gaining hands-on experience modeling and analyzing complex datasets for high-stakes decision-making
▪ Completed Y Combinator’s Startup School, gaining practical startup insights that are actively shaping how I build and scale Tactical Thermals and Common Pitch.
▪ Took the first step in my coaching journey with the EE Playermaker by England Football course, refining how I interpret and optimize player performance data
▪ Won the Weston Cup — beating top national competition, including a standout victory against a premier Jamaican side
▪ Earned my soccer referee license, stepping into a leadership and decision-making role on the pitch2024
▪ Helped win the Florida State Cup (U13) — scoring the game-winner in the semifinal and converting in both shootouts2023 & Earlier
▪ Trained at Ajax’s De Toekomst Academy in 2022 and 2023 — one of the world’s most respected development environments for young footballers

-FOOTBALL RECRUITING -

I’m a Class of 2028 Kicker / Punter (K/P) at The Benjamin School in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. As a natural left-footed specialist with the ability to kick and punt with either foot, I’m focused on developing elite ball-striking, consistency, hang time, and field position through year-round training and competition.▪ View my Hudl Profile▪ View my NCSA Recruiting Profile▪ View my MaxPreps Profile▪ Follow my recruiting journey on X / Twitter▪ Follow me on Instagram▪ Trained with Roberto Aguayo and participated in the University of Miami Specialist Camp, continuing to develop as a collegiate-level specialist▪ Converted 45-yard field goals from both the left and right hash during private specialist evaluations▪ Developing as a left-footed K/P while building the ability to kick and punt with either foot▪ Pursuing opportunities to compete at the collegiate level while continuing to refine field goals, kickoffs, punting, and overall special teams performance

-SOCCER RECRUITING -

I’m a Class of 2028 Varsity Soccer Player at The Benjamin School and a member of the Palm Beach United ECNL National team. I primarily play as an Attacking Midfielder (#10) and Central Midfielder (#8), combining vision, creativity, ball progression, and dual-footed playmaking to impact matches on both sides of the ball.▪ View my Hudl Profile▪ View my NCSA Recruiting Profile▪ View my MaxPreps Profile▪ Follow my recruiting journey on X / Twitter▪ Follow me on Instagram▪ Compete for Palm Beach United ECNL National as a CAM/CM (#10/#8)▪ Florida State Cup Champion and Weston Cup Champion▪ Natural left-footed midfielder with the ability to play and strike the ball effectively with either foot▪ Dual-footed player with high-level European academy training experience, including training at Ajax's De Toekomst Academy and participation in Inter Milan's international identification and training program▪ Focused on controlling tempo, progressing possession, creating chances, and impacting matches in all phases of play▪ Pursuing opportunities to compete at the collegiate level while continuing to develop as a complete midfielder

-ACADEMICS -

I’m a Class of 2028 student at The Benjamin School pursuing a rigorous college-preparatory curriculum that includes the AP Capstone and Cambridge AICE Diploma programs, along with AP, Honors, and Dual Enrollment coursework. My academic interests include sports analytics, business, economics, finance, computer science, data science, and entrepreneurship.▪ GPA: 3.75 Unweighted | 4.6+ Weighted▪ Completed all Florida high school graduation requirements before entering 11th grade▪ View my GitHub▪ Read my Substack▪ AP Capstone Diploma Candidate▪ Cambridge AICE Diploma Candidate▪ Pursuing an Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree while in high school▪ Advanced to the full-paper stage of the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference Research Paper Competition▪ Selected for the Harvard International Relations Scholars Program▪ Completed the Harvard AI Bootcamp▪ Earned the CFA Investment Foundations® Certificate▪ Earned a Palantir Foundry Certification▪ Completed Y Combinator Startup School▪ HTML & CSS Coding Specialist Certified▪ Interested in collegiate opportunities that combine academics, athletics, leadership, and innovation