With their second pick in the MLS Draft this season, the MLS Champion Colorado Rapids selected Michigan State’s defender Colin Givens. Colin has been kind enough to take some time to answer some question for Rapids fans.
Colin, congratulations on making it to the Rapids training camp!
I. You were a highly regarded high school prospect among players nationally. How does being a known soccer player while playing in high school challenge and influence a young player on and off the field?
Ya it’s definitely a challenge playing in high school and also the national team at only 16 17 years old. Its safe to say that I didn’t get to do a lot of my friends were able to do….I missed a lot of dances and football games due to travel with my club or national team.
I wouldn’t take any of it back though because of the experiences I was able to get over seas and in different countries. I missed the last week of my senior year because i was in Portugal with the USA U18s.
Getting scholarship offers and everything out of high school was great and really helped my motivation to work harder on the field and off to really put soccer as my main focus in life because i knew at a young age that going pro was my ultimate goal.
II. From high school, you spent a year playing or the Cavaliers in Virginia before moving on to Michigan State. What made you transfer back to your home state of Michigan?
Yea I enjoyed my time at UVA but when I went home for xmas I realized although i enjoyed the soccer at uva i didnt feel that i had the balance in my life social, academic, AND soccer that i wanted. So i took a semester off and went to Scotland and trained with Dundee United and realized that I wanted to give college another try.
So I knew if I went to Michigan State, I would have a great time and the balance i was looking for. I grew up with a lot of the guys on the team there and some of them were my best friends so I had a great time my first year there and loved it ever since.
III. You spend this past summer playing for the Michigan State Bucks of the PDL. Tell Rapids fans about how the game changes between the levels of High School, College, and the PDL? How do you regard your time playing for the Bucks?
The high school level isn’t great because you get people that dont have the same soccer aspirations as some others. College and PDL are very similar but the main difference in the PDL is you get the best college players from the area and get them all together. It’s a fun and good league to play in because it’s relaxed and the Bucks have a great ownership and a great atmosphere to play for.
Dan Duggan is a great guy and really makes it the best summer when you play all summer long with the Bucks. Gary Parsons was a great coach to play for as well and really had a great time playing for them.
IV. When were you aware that you could be one of the chosen few players in the MLS draft and what was the MLS draft experience for you not only on draft day but the days leading up to and days after the draft?
Right when the season ended I began to work towards the MLS Draft. It was a pain because I didn’t know my future or where I would be. It was a very exciting time talking to agents and a few pro teams over seas about possibly getting trials.
But after the MLS combine it was the longest 48 hours of my life just waiting to see if i were to be drafted. Draft day consisted of me and my family gathered around my laptop waiting to see if my name was called hoping that everytime the commissioner went to the podium that it would be my name. After 35 picks I was getting restless and didn’t know if I could take it any longer but Colorado surprised me and my family by taking me 36th overall and i couldnt have been happier with the situation i’ve been put into.
V. You’ve now spent time in training camp with the MLS Champions. What are your impressions so far of training with some of America’s top players and prospects? Has the coaching staff sat down with you to discuss their visions for your role and who you are competing against in camp for a roster spot?
So far it’s been a great experience. All the guys on the team seem to be very friendly and welcoming which was a surprise coming into the locker room. But I’ve really enjoyed it. I sat down briefly with coaches just getting acquainted but nothing with specifics like where I stand or what my situation is on the team. I think the best way to put it is that I control my own destiny and if I play like I know that I can, I think I should be in good shape and hopefully the coaches see a player they want to develop in me.
VI. Congratulations on making further then most players ever dream of. What advice would you give to aspiring players and who and what things would you like to acknowledge as playing key roles on your road to MLS?
Honestly, I would say that when you are not working at your game, somebody else out there is. It’s weird advice but it’s very true. Growing up I would do a lot of training on my own because I knew that other players were doing the same thing and I didn’t want to be a guy that just did the mandatory practices and sessions but someone that went the extra mile to improve my game. It’s the little things that get you this far not just athleticism or size but stuff that you reallly need to work on like your technical ability and knowledge of the game.
