British soccer invasion at Viterbo

Back in the 1960s, America was invaded by England. No, it wasn't a hostile invasion; it was an influx of British rock n' roll into America. Bands such as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin brought their sounds to our country and were loved. As a result of their success, many other English bands would follow suit.

     Recently, there has been a new British invasion. This time it's right here at Viterbo and it's not rock, it's soccer. In the last three years, the Viterbo soccer team has "imported" nine British soccer players to the V-Hawk roster, a number that has been growing each year.

     It may be due to the fact that Viterbo's head coach of soccer, Andy Lee, is from England himself. Lee took over the team in 2006 and since then has added fellow Englishmen to the lineup each year.

     "I recruit about three to four each year, so about one-third of the recruits are English," Lee told Lumen.

     The main sport in England, and everywhere else in the world besides the U.S., is soccer, or football, as the British call it. So naturally one would think that soccer players would be drawn out of the United States, not into them. But the reality is just the opposite as more and more British players are being recruited by colleges across the country.

     "I came to America because the chance was something new and exciting. I feel like there's more opportunity and it is more productive than just playing soccer in England, like studying abroad," said James Lockley, sophomore sports management major.

     Lockley is from Manchester, England, and was recruited by Head Coach Lee. "I've been playing soccer since I was five," Lockley said. "It's the biggest sport in England, and the only one I've ever known."

     Lockley, or "Locks" as his teammates call him, explained that typical British students finish high school at 16 years of age. They then are put into what is known as a "Sixth Form" college for two years. Here they learn the necessary qualifications to move on in the world, after which they have the choice of going straight to a university or to the working world.

      However, going to a university in England is a different experience from going to one here in the U.S. coach Lee explained that college sports in the UK are student-run and not nearly as serious as they are here. "You either play professionally there or you go to school. Sports and education don't mix as they do here," he said. "This is why the English students come to the U.S. where they can play soccer competitively at a university while obtaining a degree at the same time."

     So, how are all these English players ending up at Viterbo University? "The international players are drawn to NAIA schools like Viterbo, versus NCAA schools," Lee said. "The NCAA has stricter transfer requirements for international students and therefore it is easier for them to play at NAIA level schools."

     "We play many different teams in our league with different international groups in each," explained Lee. "The International players on a team tend to follow the nationality of the coach. I am English, so I tend to bring in a lot of players from the UK."