Elevate

“The separation from my friends was the hardest part. I would see them being normal teenagers, doing this, doing that. In my head, I would always ask myself, ‘is this whole thing worth it?’”

As far as high schoolers go, Griffin Yow has got quite the resume. He signed for DC United in 2018 when he was just sixteen years old, he's played alongside Wayne Rooney, scored against Marc Bartra and Andres Guardado’s Real Betis, he's been at a FIFA U-17 World Cup, and he's already bagged his first goals in MLS.

Not bad for someone who hasn’t been to senior prom yet. 

From a young age, though, it seems Griffin was always destined to go down the soccer route over a traditional path. His mom was an NCAA National Champion in college with NC State, his older brother played DIII at Roanoke, and his older sister played DI at Duquesne. 

“I would obviously say I had a choice, but it was all around me everywhere,” recalled Griffin. “From the first time I can remember doing anything, it had to do with soccer.”

As soon as he could walk, Griffin had a ball at his feet, and at six years old, he was already standing out from the rest of the pack. After a year playing peewee soccer in a team coached by his dad, Griffin began showing great promise. By age seven, he started playing travel soccer for Southwestern Youth Association (SYA) in Virginia. 

At SYA, Griffin played two age groups above his own, and at 13, he made the first big move in his career to the Virginia Development Academy. “I got pushed to the Academy, and that was really the first time I had to leave my friends and teammates,” said Griffin.

The transition to playing a step above travel soccer was not easy, especially because of what that meant for Griffin off the field. 

“At that moment, it kind of became more like, ‘Okay, this is getting real. I need to start taking this more seriously.’ I dropped other sports that I was playing at the time, and I just started to see my friends at school less and less. That was the beginning of the separation from the other kids.”

Griffin’s ascent at the Virginia Development Academy was quick. After just one year at the club, Griffin was called up to a couple of Youth National Team training camps, and soon, DC United Academy was eager to bring Griffin into its ranks.

While the previous changes in teams had mainly brought difficulties for Griffin off the field, this time, the challenges were mainly on the pitch. 

“The first year at the DCU Academy was one of the toughest ones for me up to that point,” said Griffin. “I was so used to being the top guy at Virginia. When I joined DC, it was the first time I had to go up against players that could put me on the bench.”

During his first year at the DCU Academy, Griffin played a year above his age group, but he wasn’t getting the playing time that he expected or had gotten used to at previous clubs. 

“I was out there as a little boy, still skinny, still 15. And you've got men with facial hair, and it's like, ‘what the heck is going on?’ I had to learn to adapt and learn that not only my speed was gonna get me places. I had to be more technical. I developed a lot of technical ability that year and a lot of quick thinking. It was a tough season, but a good one overall.”

The following year, at 16, Griffin returned to play with his age group, and he began gaining attention from the USYNT for his outstanding performances with the DCU Academy. He was called up to play against Brazil, Portugal, and England, and those matches would ultimately change his career and his life. 

“After those games, I started to have agents reach out to me on DMs and email. As soon as you perform at any National Team level, they are on you. I was a cocky little kid back then, so I was loving it,” said Griffin with a laugh.

“But I was not ready for what lay ahead.”

At such a young age, the rapid climb in the soccer world meant significant changes for Griffin in the real world. 

“It all happened really fast, to be honest. During my first years of high school, I wasn’t signed to DCU, but I would get invited to first-team training in the mornings. So it was either you go to the first-team training in the morning or go to first period. My parents always let me go to training.” 

On top of missing class to attend DC United first-team training, Griffin was also regularly called up to train and play with the Youth National Team in California and other places around the globe. The hectic travel schedule interfered greatly with school, and there were many times when Griffin’s teachers didn’t exactly approve of the path he was slowly beginning to choose.

“US Soccer would send me an official letter with a stamp and someone’s signature to explain why I would be away from school. It was funny. It looked like a very official government document. Some teachers would just be confused, and then others would just be pissed. They would say that I didn’t need to be missing school for soccer or that I was focused on the wrong things. But I guess it worked out.”

The hardest part of chasing his dream to make it to the pros was not missing assignments or taking classes online while away with the National Team. 

“The biggest challenge in the whole transition phase to the pros was the separation from my friends. Fear of missing out. I'm on social media nonstop, so I would see all my friends doing this, doing that. And in my head, I would always ask myself, is this whole thing worth it? I had that fear of not seeing my friends, not being a real high schooler, or not getting to be just a regular kid for that matter.”

Despite sometimes wanting to simply treat soccer as a game rather than a profession and longing to enjoy his high school years with his friends, the validation and success he was gaining on the field kept him focused on his dream.

“What kept me going was just being blessed to have had really great success. To be able to have signed when I was 16, I was doing really good things. That’s what kept me going -- why pass it up, why quit now? I just wanted to keep on advancing and wanting to achieve the next thing.”

Even though Griffin struggled with the separation from his friends and the initial isolation that came from pursuing his dream, he was able to find a community at the professional level that embraced him with open arms. 

With a new generation of young, talented players from all over the United States, Griffin found new friends at the National Team level experiencing the same struggles as him.

“Some of the National Team guys that are my age, we're all going through the same type of thing. If you're on the National Team and you're that young, you're getting hit up by agents, and you're just getting the hang of being a professional. We're all kind of going through the same type of thing. It's really nice to be able to relate and go through that together.”

“The soccer community and the soccer friendships that I’ve been able to make have kind of helped with that fear of missing out on having a regular high school experience,” Griffin added. “Not only can you talk to them and have a great friendship, but you can but also relate on that professional and personal level.”

The transition to fitting in with the DC United first team was also positive, although it did come with some challenges.

“My first year with DC United, I was on the team with Rooney and all these top guys. They were super welcoming and didn’t make me feel like they were better than me. They would always talk to me and make me feel super comfortable. But it was still tough because you don't have that one person that you can talk to at lunch, or go sit next to on the flight, or walk with wherever you're going. You’re kind of alone in a sense.”

For Griffin, it does seem as if making the jump to the first-team squad was like joining a new school. There were new hierarchies, new customs, and new banter to get used to.

“That first year, I definitely made some mistakes. I would never clean up the table or pick up the balls or the cones. Not because I was cocky or I thought I was better, but just because I didn't think that I needed to do it. Oh my goodness, I would just get pounded by the older players for that.”

After forgetting to pick up the equipment after a practice at the RFK auxiliary fields, Griffin vividly recounts how DC United captain Steve Birnbaum refused to give him a ride back to RFK Stadium. Griffin painfully remembers having to carry all the ball bags back to RFK by himself. “It was over a 30-minute walk back. It was awful,” said Griffin with a chuckle.

But there were brighter moments and interesting icebreakers while getting to know his new first-team colleagues. 

“They do this to everyone that comes in, but all the youngsters always have to choose a song to sing in front of the entire squad. Kevin [Paredes] and I ended up singing Riptide in front of Wayne Rooney and the rest of the team. It was crazy,” said Griffin with a smile. 

Beyond the initial playful hazing and traditions that Griffin had to endure, he was also able to find mentors who helped guide him during his first few years in MLS. 

DC United forward Paul Arriola immediately took Griffin under his wing and taught him the ropes. “Paul really took me in and gave me advice on how to carry myself as a professional. He also went straight from high school to the pros, so he knew what I was going through, and he really helped me out during that first year when I was feeling a bit overwhelmed.”

Last season, when Griffin scored his first MLS goal in a match against Toronto, the cameras quickly turned to the stands to see Arriola pumping his fists and celebrating wildly after his pupil’s goal.

The end of 2020 was a breakout spell for Griffin and the rest of the DC United homegrowns like Donovan Pines, Moses Nyeman, and Kevin Paredes.

“Last year, I had gotten over being overwhelmed. I was ready to make an impact. I was ready to play. I was ready to be a professional. I was ready to be able to compete. I still honestly felt like I was kind of looked at like still that young guy, but getting minutes at the end of the season was very important for me.”

With recently-signed DCU head coach Hernan Losada heading this new class of young players, Griffin can’t help but show his excitement for 2021. 

“He’s killing us with fitness, and he’s strict about having the healthiest diet possible. The organic stuff, you know. His playing system is very offensive and physically demanding, but I love it, to be honest. He also seems to trust me and the rest of the younger guys. He’s coming with that European and South American mentality where no matter your age, you’re given a chance to contribute.”

Like Griffin, many seniors around the country are getting ready to graduate high school in May and take the next big step in their lives. 

For Griffin, it’s clear that his next step is to earn a starting spot at DC United. The last few years have prepared him for it, after all. 

“I know I’ll have the chance to do big things this season. I feel like I’m ready to take that big step. I really can’t wait.”

Photography by Jisung Kim & Gabriel Bayona Sapag.