Chris Agorsor primed for breakout, Part I

By Charles Boehm, Potomac Soccer Wire Sr. Staff Writer
 
He’s been dominating the club and high school scenes in his native Maryland for several years now, steadily collecting an assortment of awards and honors at the local and national level: Baltimore Sun Male Athlete of the Year, Gatorade National Boys Soccer Player of the Year, NSCAA/adidas National Player of the Year, Rise magazine’s Greater DC Player of the Year, to name a few.
 
But this week, having been named as the U.S. Soccer Development Academy U-17/18 Player of the Year as his Baltimore Bays squad thrives in the Development Academy Finals, the entire U.S. soccer nation has been put on notice.
 
Chris Agorsor is ready for primetime.
 
He’ll lead the Bays into tonight’s ESPN2-televised Finals Week title match against LAFC, providing the speedy striker with his biggest stage yet – and surely adding to the media attention that has grown by leaps and bounds lately.
 
“Yeah, that’s definitely picked up a lot in the past couple of days, past couple of weeks,” said Agorsor of the profiles and interview requests that have flooded in this summer. “When I hear stuff like that, I’m happy – it shows the work I’ve done with my team thus far has helped me and if I keep working hard like this, then people take notice.”
 
Born in the United States to Ghanaian-American parents, Agorsor already led the McDonogh School to a Maryland prep state title, even while working through an accelerated curriculum that enabled him to graduate a semester early with a sterling academic record. Now he and his club mates, a tight-knit crew who have been playing together for years, hope to move on to the next phase of their careers as national champs.
 
“All of our teammates for the most part are going to [NCAA] Division I schools to play soccer,” he said on Thursday, “so they’re really excited about that and we want to go out on a high by winning nationals.”
 
Should that goal be reached, Agorsor won’t have too much time to celebrate or relax. He’s scheduled to begin his college career at the University of Virginia in mid-August, with the commencement of preseason training on campus in Charlottesville. He surprised some observers by turning down several contract offers from European clubs in order to attend UVa, but the articulate teen has a matter-of-fact explanation for the choice.
 
“Virginia just appeals to me because I actually enjoy school and I know that UVa, besides soccer and besides the academics, it’s just a great environment to be around, the people, the campus,” he said. “All that stuff really matters.”
 
A pro career can’t be far off, though. Agorsor’s talent has drawn raves from those who’ve seen him up close. Steve Nichols, his coach at McDonogh and Bays, described him to the Washington Examiner as “hands down the best high school soccer player in the United States of America” and many among the U.S. youth national team setup are clearly enamored with his abilities, too. It’s created a whirlwind of activity – and expectations – for the young man, but a grounded approach has helped him to balance his responsibilities and make his own calls about the road ahead.
 
“[Playing] with the national team has definitely opened my eyes to what my life would be like if I was professional,” said Agorsor, “And I think I have a better idea of what my life would be like in college, managing school and soccer, a balance that I’ve been doing for the past couple of years. All it really is, is just a flood of information. I try and take it all in and make the right decision.”
 
So will head coach George Gelnovatch and the rest of the Cavalier nation be able to enjoy Agorsor’s skills for the next four years? Or will the lure of top-class pro soccer in one of Europe’s top leagues prove too irresistible?
 
“I honestly don’t know,” said Agorsor of his long-term plans. “I’m not one that really goes far into the future. I like to go with that ‘one day at a time’ type of philosophy.”
 
The world awaits.
 
* * *
 
Editor's Note: Check back next week for Part II of Potomac Soccer Wire’s profile on Chris Agorsor, and more from Charles Boehm's interview with the budding star


***

Get involved with your soccer community through Potomac Soccer Wire Stay informed: Want to get news like this to your email in-box twice per week? Subscribe to our free eNewsletter here! Add to the discussion: Want to discuss this topic with your soccer peers? Comment on our MODERATED discussion boards here. Join the team: We're always looking for contributing writers, subject matter experts, and independent ad sales reps. Send your interest here. Contribute News, Notes, and Boasts: Potomac Soccer Wire wants your team, club, league, and tournament news! If you're based in Maryland, Virginia, or the District, be sure to include news@potomacsoccerwire.com on your media distribution list, and encourage your members to submit their stories. We can't promise they'll all run, and will need to verify facts, but if it's legitimate news, we'll publish it! Support the cause: We're not a non-profit, but we may as well be when it comes to producing the PSW web site and newsletter. If you truly value the service we're providing, we invite you to support the cause with a voluntary paid subscription. Your support will help us dig deeper into issues, to pay more freelance writers, and to get the word out more to the local soccer community.