Dominik Gedek is living out his dream of playing professional soccer
PLOCK, Poland (BVM) — Growing up, sports were always a constant in Dominik Gedek’s life. Always having a sporting event to go to on the weekends, he enjoyed being active. However, even at a young age, he tended to lean more towards soccer in particular.
“I have to thank my parents for getting me into soccer at a young age,” Gedek said. “Trying all kinds of different sports that they signed me up for, I enjoyed soccer the most and developed a strong passion for the game.”
Being gifted at soccer is not something that Gedek has taken for granted either. Throughout the entirety of his life, Gedek has constantly been working on his craft with numerous trainers and coaches. Nobody has been more beneficial to his game however, than his own parents.
“Although I have been fortunate enough to play for some good coaches already in my early career, nobody has taught me more than my parents,” Gedek said. “They are my biggest supporters. Without them I would not be in the position I am today. They push me to keep working hard and chasing my dreams when things get rough. I can’t thank them enough for everything they have done for me.”
From a young age, Gedek and the ones surrounding him knew he was going to be a special talent. While it may seem like it was always smooth sailing for the Polish sensation, at times, it was anything but that. At the age of 12, Gedek and his family were faced with some tough decisions to make following a tragic accident at a gas station.
“The worst thing that can happen in soccer or any sport is an injury,” Gedek said. “Injuries not only take you out of playing but also affect your mentality. The one big injury I’ve had in my career was from a car accident from when I was about 12, where I fractured a bone and had a lot of skin damage on my foot. This put me on the side lines for about 6 months. During this time I had to stay focused on doing everything I could to get back on the field.”
Gedek began to develop his love for soccer when he was just 2 years old. Ever since then Gedek has bounced around playing for local club and academy teams such as Montgomery United, FC Delco, and PennFusion.
“I think that all the hours put in since a young age really transformed me into the player I am today,” Gedek said. “All the clubs I played in gave me new contacts and a different view on how to play the sport which I can take into the future.”
For two of the past three years Gedek played for North Penn High School located in Lansdale Pa. He was a two year starter and helped the Knights maintain their dominance in winning 5 straight conference titles. The highlight of his high school career came in the second round of the district playoffs in 2020. With fellow teammate and current Louisville defenseman Josh Jones ahead of him, Gedek dribbled through a couple defenders and found the back of the net to score the golden goal in overtime against conference rival Central Bucks South.
The publicity put even more eyes on an already highly sought after recruit in Gedek. Many colleges such as Lafayette and Villanova had been in communication with the Polish star, however, due to Covid-19 and some other implications, the alternate route of a gap year became more and more appealing.
“For me the college process was reaching out to different schools via email with a highlight video and getting scouted at tournaments,” Gedek said. “I was planning to take a gap year before knowing about moving to Poland because I really did not want to rush my decision on where I wanted to go. I thought an extra year would give me enough time to truly decide where I want to continue my career.”
Over the past year, Gedek has weighed the pro’s and con’s of playing at the collegiate level quite frequently. While his decision often swayed, one thing that always remained the same in his decision making process, was the importance of family and friends.
“All my life I have been surrounded by Polish culture,” Gedek said. “I was planning on taking a gap year after high school regardless but then I got the opportunity to trial at Wisła Płock this summer and I thought it was the perfect opportunity for me to go pro. After making the team and being invited to come live there, I knew I could not let this chance slip away. Leaving all my family and friends was the hardest thing I have ever had to do.”
After moving to Poland full time in the spring, Gedek has had to start all over. For the first time in his life he is living on his own and is also living in an entirely different country. While the big change does present big challenges for the 18-year-old, it also presents a big opportunity.
“There have definitely been some big lifestyle changes living here in Poland,” Gedek said. “I do not have a car here for example, so I mostly bike or take a bus everywhere I go in the city. Every Sunday most of the stores and public buildings are closed due to Poland being very religious. It has been a big change, but I welcome it.”
There are many life lessons that come with playing sports. Helping others grow and the fact that there is no “I” in the team may be the most important ones. Ever since a young age, Gedek has always set big goals for himself and held himself to a high standard.
“My biggest goal here in Poland is to play for the first team,” Gedek said. “I know I have the ability to get there. I definitely have higher quality training and top notch preparation for games that are at the professional level, which is helping me reach my goals faster.”
Gedek is off to a fast start with his new team. Already getting moved up in the system and seeing big improvements in his game, The 6-foot-2 speedster is happy that he took the big leap.
“I’m happy with my decision to move to Poland for this year,” Gedek said. “I was planning to take a gap year anyways so I think this was the best way to spend it. I believe that for someone to grow as a person or in any profession they have to take risks and get out of their comfort zone.”
A couple weeks ago, Gedek was finally able to check off a lifelong goal on his to-do list. The 18-year-old was fortunate enough to sign his first professional contract with Wisła Płock. While Gedek may have accomplished a lifelong dream, he still believes he has many more coming.
“I was very thrilled to sign a contract with Wisła Płock for a year,” Gedek said. “I think it’s a big step in my career and I know it will lead to big things. Not many people get the opportunity that I do so I am very grateful for the chance that I have to fulfill my dreams. At the same time however, this is only the beginning and I am going to continue to work hard.”
