Tales From the Lost City
From legendary USMNT goalkeeper Frank Borghi -- who helped upset England in the 1950 World Cup -- to the iconic Taylor Twellman to World Cup winner Becky Sauerbrunn, St. Louis has a long tradition of producing talented soccer players. Many go on to reach great heights at the collegiate and professional level, but they often go under the radar. Although much of the country might sleep on us, if you’re from St. Louis, you know we are a soccer town.
For the past three years, many of my old teammates have excelled in their careers at Division I and Division III programs throughout the country. Whenever we get the chance, we try our best to meet up during our holidays to train together, catch up, and relive the good old days playing back home.
On this occasion, I had the chance to reunite with my former high school teammate Rob Morris, who is now captain of the Rhodes College soccer team in Tennessee.
Since I came back from D.C. for winter break, Rob wanted to train to get ready for his Spring season after the Fall season was postponed due to COVID-19. The early morning, 9 a.m. training sessions weren’t new for us. After all, we’d been doing them our entire lives pretty much.
I’ve noticed about Rob that there’s always a laser focus and determination within him, one that I haven’t seen in many other players I’ve played with. This is what I find most inspiring about my friend. His work rate is infectious and encouraging. His caring personality and knowledge of local soccer set him apart. He’s the perfect example of the great development in this city and what it takes to make it at the college level.
After our training session together, we sat down to talk about what makes St. Louis soccer so special, his experience leading Rhodes College to their best season in 15 years, playing against Bundesliga teams in Germany and Austria, and how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted college soccer.
When did you first start playing soccer, and what was your early experience playing here in St. Louis?
The first soccer team I played on was for just a regular CYC team when I was five. I think it was through a parish in Ellisville, Missouri. I started there and really fell in love with it from day one. I was always the fast kid, so I scored a lot of goals when I was younger and just got addicted to the game. From there, I slowly built my way up in the CYC divisions, playing more and more competitively, and finally switched over to St. Louis Scott Gallagher in 5th grade with some friends.
Gallagher SC is definitely one of the best academies here and around the country. They’ve churned out talented MLS players like Will Bruin, Brad Davis, Tommy Meyer, and Pat Noonan, who’ve all played in the MLS Cup. What was it like to develop under that environment?
It is a very engulfing and holistic experience. I've talked to a lot of people from other states that play in college, and they'll say they play for a club and have one or two teams for an age group, and their team ends up winning state every year. But with Gallagher, I played in a “Gallagher Division,” which just goes to show you how big the club actually is. There are nearly 10 teams per age group and even more now as they've continued to grow. They have multiple different levels within each age group. I kind of bounced around in different divisions and different teams while I was there. But the big thing about Gallagher that I didn't realize till after I got out of St. Louis was just how big and powerful the club is, as well as a powerhouse for producing college athletes.
One of the big things about Gallagher is that they also make their teams travel a lot. How do they typically compare to teams in nearby states around the region?
Yeah, we would play some regional games. We also played in college showcases, like the Gallagher hosted showcase. We would also go to showcases in Memphis, Indiana, and just kind of neighboring states, and we usually found that our Midwest or our St. Louis teams did better than other teams within the region.
What do you think makes Gallagher SC and St. Louis soccer in general so special?
I think there's a really rich history that people don't know about, and even I don't know all the details. But I do know how 50 years ago, prominent USA players came to St. Louis and just really made their mark. They started clubs that have grown to be big powerhouses within the U.S. Soccer system. I think of the likes of Taylor Twellman, who didn't play for Gallagher SC, but he played for the high schools here. So there are many players in MLS that have come from here. St. Louis has had a rich history, and they have the players to back it up consistently. There’s also Josh Sargent, who came out of Gallagher. To attract players like that and then develop them, you have to have the history and the backing of really, really strong coaches. You need people with strong influence that will bring those players in, develop them, and then ultimately send them to the next level.
From how you mentioned that Gallagher has numerous teams per age group, it seems natural that the constant competition will result in players like Josh Sargent. Do you think that type of system is the key to churning out talent?
The fact that you can have a league within your own club just goes to show that it's very tight, but kids are constantly moving up and down the ranks and developing. But then there is also an argument to be made that kids get lost. If you're not at the top, you know, there is less focus. There’s an abundance of teams now, so many of these lower-level teams are not great. Some teams take anyone from tryouts, and as long as the kids pay, you know, and they'll train these kids. But the fact is they aren’t always very good, and the club doesn’t genuinely care about their development sometimes.
Does having all those teams available help with accessibility to the game, though?
Well, it's interesting because soccer, I would say, isn't super expensive to play, at least compared to football or lacrosse. But what you see is that the reason we have so many good basketball athletes, for example, is because there really are no barriers, specifically economically, for kids to start playing really young. They can just go find a basketball hoop and start shooting. With soccer, you can go and kick a ball around with some friends and play in a field, but many times, you have to pay that much money to join a club and get good training. I think it just places priority in the wrong place.
What are your thoughts on the overall system that sets you up to play in college? You have gone through it and probably can make a good assessment of how that impacts development.
In Europe, club soccer is obviously separate from school. They’re completely different entities. In the U.S., there's a lot of bureaucratic and sort of monetary ties to soccer, where it becomes a pay-to-play type sport. In Europe, you always see these players who come from nothing and are able to develop in these clubs and so forth just because they didn't have barriers to start at a young age, and they were able to develop. But it's different in the U.S. You have to pay to get into these clubs, and then you have to pay to go through college while also playing soccer under the NCAA. So, there are a lot of barriers that are sort of holding the U.S. right now. But we're starting to see players who have understood this. And you have great examples like Christian Pulisic, who went to Europe at a young age, got out of the U.S. and trained where he was not faced with having to pay for a club or go to college even, you know, he just goes and trains. He doesn't have to bother with trying to get to do a DI school or whatever it may be.
What was your own experience like trying to get recruited to play college soccer?
One thing I learned really early on with the recruiting process is that it starts at least a year earlier than a regular college recruiting cycle for just a student who doesn't want to play sports. I had good connections that gave me a heads up for that, but it was one of those things that I had to take charge of myself. I really had to do the research myself, contact the coaches, show my interest, especially because I wasn't a player who I thought could be a stellar DI athlete. Because of that, I wasn't getting actively recruited by DI schools. Sure, I got looks from DIII and DII schools, but a lot of the burden fell on me as a player to find my way to coaches and teams. So, the process was pretty involved for me, but it made it better that way just because I really did make it my own.
What did that process entail, exactly?
It consisted of building a highlight tape, working with my high school coach at the time to help write emails to coaches, correspond, and stay in constant contact with the schools that I was interested in. Lucky for me, I was really able to zero down on one school -- Rhodes --, and I just hounded the coach for at least a year. And sometimes, I’d get good responses, sometimes not. But I always showed up to every ID camp that I was able to go to, and I always got the coaches’ info just through persistence. Through my own will, I was able to make the team. I had to really push my name and try out for over a year and stay in contact for over a year before I got an offer. It wasn't something that I just was able to snap my fingers and let happen. It was an involved process, but it was definitely worth it.
What was it like adapting to the college game once you made it?
I came in as a freshman pretty nervous and not sure what to expect, thinking this is going to be super intense-- and it was. There was a lot of showing up early in the morning, running fitness tests, training two times a day, and being very involved. That freshman year was kind of stressful at the beginning, but I definitely got the hang of it and actually ended up starting for the second half of the season as right-mid. Then, I was really excited after my freshman year, so I jumped into my sophomore year and trained a lot over the summer. I would say that I was, you know, one of the best players in preseason, if not a top contender going into my sophomore year, just out of confidence in the drilling that I had done over the summer. And then, in the preseason, we got to travel to Austria and Germany to play against teams in the Bundesliga, like Fifth Division.
What was it like to do that Bundesliga tour?
So, we would travel around and play in various stadiums where local counties would come and watch the games. It was fun because they didn't necessarily speak English, but they loved that this American team was playing there. And they didn't understand that college soccer is a thing because the system is just so different in Europe. They thought we were a club team, and every time we said we were a college team, they just didn’t understand!
It must have been a real confidence booster to go over to Europe, train, and then come back to play college again.
Yeah, we came back and had our season, and that actually ended up being our best season in 15 years. We finished second in the conference and should have pushed through to the bigger NCAA tournament. But we ended up getting upset in the first round of playoffs, which was a real heartbreaker. But we had an incredible season, and I had a really good time.
You were named captain of the Rhodes College soccer team the following year. How did that feel, and what is it like being a captain in college?
I barely made the team going in freshman year, and then to be named captain, not as a senior, but as a junior, was really just thrilling. But it brought a lot of responsibility, and it was something that I was ready for, but at the same time, it’s very difficult. Being able to manage players and getting guys motivated and getting them to trust you and listen to you because you really are an extension of the players, the administration, and the coaching staff. So it brought a lot of responsibility and stress, but certainly an honor.
After playing in DIII over the past few years, how do you feel it compares to DI? Is there a real gap in the competition, and what exactly is the balance between athletics and academics at the DIII level?
There is a serious emphasis on school and getting your education because that's ultimately why you're there. And the philosophy that our coaches have always had is you're a student first, but soccer is a very, very, very close second. It’s certainly a nice balance to have. It also forces you to time manage, but it's very draining.
What I would also say about the competition aspect is that we're playing against guys -- even within our own conference -- who made fourth or third in the NCAA tournament. I remember playing these teams, and they have players who are now trying out for MLS teams and have guys who could certainly compete easily at a DI level. There's a lot to be said for the DIII competition level.
You were headed into your senior year when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. What was your reaction when you heard your final college season was going to be canceled?
It wasn't one of those things that really just slapped us across the face because we had been waiting for at least two or three months to hear. And the fact that this decision was so prolonged, to us, we were expecting that the season was probably going to get canceled or at least pushed. But when we finally found out, people were very upset, but it wasn't something that was shocking for me. I was honestly relieved that the uncertainty of whether we were having a season or not was kind of released. But now that we do have a Spring season, I'm prepared to get ready and get training started.
What are you looking forward to the most during this next season? It seems many seniors are in the same position where they thought their final year of soccer was done and now thankfully will have the chance to play in the spring.
I'm very excited to go back one more year. My junior year was very difficult because of an injury I had. So, I'm looking for one final opportunity to go out and prove myself, but also to be a good captain and really develop a relationship with these younger guys, help them get better, help the program get better, and fully leave my mark, which is really what I'm most excited for. Ultimately, it’s about pushing these guys and showing them that I can play and, in turn, making them better, making myself better, and not having any regrets at the end of the day.
Lastly, I’m sure you’ve been super excited to see all the developments with St. Louis City SC coming to MLS. What do you think having an MLS team will do for soccer in this city?
I think an MLS team here is certainly overdue. We’ve deserved this type of chance since the beginning. Our academy teams have always been ripe for any sort of feeder opportunities for an MLS club. And I think one of the benefits that come from that too is much more awareness for St. Louis soccer because it's very clear that St. Louis is one of the best, if not the best, producer in talent for the college level and even the pro level in America. Now that there is an MLS team, it'll just be that more obvious and prominent that St. Louis actually is a soccer town.
