Eric Weberman Moving Have your Bar Mitzvah in a space that lives up to the day. (Jr. A Bar Mitzvah is a once-in-a-lifetime event. Make it one to remember at MotorCity Casino Hotel. Whether it's a small gathering or a party for the ages, we have the room and people to make your event something special. From the VIP experience of Amnesia to our Grand Ballroom, everything you need for the party of a lifetime is located just minutes away at Steve Stein Contributing Writer I t's not easy giving up something you love doing. But at the same time, it's exciting moving on to the next phase of your life. Eric Weberman is dealing with those emotions. His days as a high-level soccer player are over. But law school is in the 21-year-old Northwestern University senior's future. Weberman played for the Northwestern men's soccer team for four years, mostly as a center- midfielder. The North Farmington High School graduate was one of Northwestern's three team captains this fall. Four years of high school soccer and six years of playing club soccer pre- ceded his days as a Wildcat. "Deep down, I know I can still play at a high level, but my body has had enough:' he said. "I need and want to move on to something different" What's most difficult about giving up soccer? "I love the competition:' he said. "Plus, I grew up playing the game and learned early that I was good enough to play it at a high level." Soccer gave Weberman once-in-a- lifetime opportunities to play in Israel in 2013 with the U.S. men's team at the Maccabiah Games and in Spain in 2007 with the Olympic Development Program Region II team. He helped the U.S. win its first soccer gold medal at the Maccabiah Games, scoring a goal in the semifinals against Canada and the championship game against Argentina. Weberman plans to graduate in June from Northwestern. He's majoring in political science with minors in busi- ness institutions and legal studies. He took the Law School Admission Test in early December and he's applied to 13 schools. Tops on his list is the University of Michigan. Playing soccer, going to classes and preparing for the LSAT with eight hours of online courses each week for about a month and a half this fall wasn't easy. "It kept me busy:' Weberman said. "I had to stay focused. It was overwhelm- ing at times." After he graduates from law school, Weberman said, he's thinking of pur- suing a career as a sports agent or in contract or corporate law. Weberman said he's happy he chose to attend Northwestern coming out of high school. U-M was a close second in the recruiting race. "Northwestern has been great for me academically, and I've made some lifelong friends:' he said. The Wildcats were quite successful on the soccer field during the years Weberman was on the team. They played in the NCAA tourna- ment four times, including a Sweet 16 appearance in 2012, and won their first three Big Ten Conference champi- onships (2011, 2012, 2014). Weberman was an All-Big Ten Tournament selec- tion in 2012. The 5-foot-7, 160-pound Farmington Hills resident played in every game for Northwestern (9-4-6, 4-1-3) this season, starting five, and he had two goals and two assists. While at North Farmington, Weberman was a first-team All-State and Michigan Dream Team member in 2010, and he was a three-time team MVP and two-time team captain. He played in the Michigan Wolves club program for six years, winning state and national titles. His parents are Aron and Cheryl Weberman. His older brother Brian played soccer at Northwood University. ❑ Please send sports news to stevestein502004@yahoo.com. MotorCity Casino Hotel. 866-STAY- MCC MotorCityCasino.com CAS/WO -.VOTEZ A MILLION MILES AWAY, RIGHT DOWN THE STREET. m,,,.°",Tag= If you bet more than you can afford to lose, in I you've got a problem. Call 1-800-270-7117 MI for free, confidential help. kim MotorCity Casino Hotel and MotorCity Casino Hotel design are trademarks of Detroit Entertainment, L.L.C. ©2015 Detroit Entertainment, L.L.C. All rights reserved. 1972580 The care you need, when you need it most. Caring Companionship Bathing & Dressing .3- Light Housekeeping + Meal Prep & Clean Up Walking Assistance + Transferring 4- Errands and Transportation Medication Reminders Alzheimer's & Dementia Care Up to 24-hour Care Call today to learn more. J. www.seniorhelpersmi.com SENIOR Helpers (248) 865-1000 (313) 885-0600 Care and comfort at a moment's notice Bonded and Insured. 1971 060 January 15 • 2015 43