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Southside soccer standout and UAB Signee Camren Thompson's dedication to his craft is what propelled him to play at the next level.
Thompson signed with UAB over the winter and has been having a strong senior season. It comes a year after he was named the Gadsden Times Boys Soccer Player of the Year. He had 10 goals in three tournament games at the Lake Cup earlier this month and scored a goal in a 2-1 area win over Gadsden City on Tuesday.
With UAB being the only NCAA Division I men's soccer program, it is hard for local players to get to that level, with many opting for the JUCO level. The Blazers have four instate players but most come from the international route, playing at a smaller college.
UAB started to feel like home for Thompson when he went on a visit there, with players making him feel welcomed. It helps that some of those instate players were in the same club system, Alabama FC, that Thompson plays in.
"Obviously its really close to home and I've been wanting to go to that school for a really long time," Thompson said.
The fact that Thompson has earned this opportunity is not surprising based on the work that he puts in. Southside's coach Randy Vice sees the work that he puts in at practice but has caught glimpses of what else Thompson does.
On a Saturday morning, when the youth leagues are playing its not uncommon to see a lone player on a back field putting in extra work dribbling around cones and getting extra shots, and its usually Thompson on those early mornings.
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"I've never seen a player work so hard away from practice, away from the field," Vice said. "He has tons of natural ability but natural ability is nothing if you don't train, and he trains all the time."
That work ethic is one reason that Vice holds Thompson in high esteem. The other half is who he has become beyond just soccer. On and off the field he has grown into a leader, and it shows in moments that someone needs to diffuse a situation, or just get his team back on the right path.
"I have a lot of great players, but I have tremendous amount of respect for that young man," Vice said.
This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Southside boys soccer's Camren Thompson hard work pays off with UAB signing
Continue reading...
Thompson signed with UAB over the winter and has been having a strong senior season. It comes a year after he was named the Gadsden Times Boys Soccer Player of the Year. He had 10 goals in three tournament games at the Lake Cup earlier this month and scored a goal in a 2-1 area win over Gadsden City on Tuesday.
With UAB being the only NCAA Division I men's soccer program, it is hard for local players to get to that level, with many opting for the JUCO level. The Blazers have four instate players but most come from the international route, playing at a smaller college.
UAB started to feel like home for Thompson when he went on a visit there, with players making him feel welcomed. It helps that some of those instate players were in the same club system, Alabama FC, that Thompson plays in.
"Obviously its really close to home and I've been wanting to go to that school for a really long time," Thompson said.
The fact that Thompson has earned this opportunity is not surprising based on the work that he puts in. Southside's coach Randy Vice sees the work that he puts in at practice but has caught glimpses of what else Thompson does.
On a Saturday morning, when the youth leagues are playing its not uncommon to see a lone player on a back field putting in extra work dribbling around cones and getting extra shots, and its usually Thompson on those early mornings.
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"I've never seen a player work so hard away from practice, away from the field," Vice said. "He has tons of natural ability but natural ability is nothing if you don't train, and he trains all the time."
That work ethic is one reason that Vice holds Thompson in high esteem. The other half is who he has become beyond just soccer. On and off the field he has grown into a leader, and it shows in moments that someone needs to diffuse a situation, or just get his team back on the right path.
"I have a lot of great players, but I have tremendous amount of respect for that young man," Vice said.
This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Southside boys soccer's Camren Thompson hard work pays off with UAB signing
Continue reading...
