Givens a proven winner at all levels of soccer
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
EAST LANSING — When Colin Givens was a freshman at Troy High School in the fall of 2003, he only scored a small handful of goals for the Colts’ soccer team. And they were memorable.
“I think I only scored three goals that year,” recalled Givens. “I do remember that I scored our first goal of the season and I scored the last.”
The last came in overtime against Saline, which was also in the Division 1 state championship game at Troy Athens. Givens and the Colts won 1-0 to give the state powerhouse school its first and only state title in boys soccer.
“That was incredible (run),” said Givens. “It’s something that I will always remember.”
There have been several more accolades and memorable moments for Givens, now 22 and a senior at Michigan State University, on the soccer field over the years. The highlights are not over.
On Thursday at 1 p.m., Givens and his Michigan State teammates will take the field against visiting Oakland University in a first-round game of the 2010 NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer College Cup.
“It’s an amazing feeling being able to play in the tournament as a senior,” said Givens. “I am very lucky to say that all four years of my college career, my team has made the tournament. Not very many players can say that.”
Givens was a high-level recruit coming out of high school, where he enjoyed a fine four-year career as a starter. He was honorable-mention all-state as a sophomore, second-team as a junior and first-team as a senior. He also made the All-State Dream Team in the fall of 2006 as a senior, considered one of the top 11 players in the state.
Givens, who was a member of the Olympic Developmental Program age group national team during his high school days, signed with Virginia out of high school and spent one season and semester there with the Cavaliers. He left due to personal reasons and wound up at Michigan State shortly thereafter.
The Spartans have made the NCAA field all three years that Givens has been on the roster. Although Givens spent most of his high school playing days as a midfielder, he is a defenseman by nature. He generally plays as a central defenseman or sweeper, depending on the team’s backfield alignment. He also plays marking back on his summer club team.
Although not racking in the goals and assists, Givens earned second-team All-Big Ten as a junior and first-team accolades this season as a central defender for the 11-7-1 Spartans.
“That’s quite an honor, to be chosen as first-team All-Big Ten,” admitted Givens. “To have those coaches think that highly of you is a great feeling.”
Givens’ father, Ian, is of Scottish decent and holds dual citizenship. Givens had a chance to train a couple of years ago with Scottish premier team, Dundee United, and hopes that contacts made can lead to some professional tryouts in the near future.
This past summer, Givens played with the Michigan Bucks of the USL-Premier Developmental League, where he was a starting marking back along with his older brother Stewart Givens, who was a senior on the 2003 Troy squad. The Bucks, a PDL powerhouse, reached the national quarterfinals in July.
He has much bigger goals after his college career ends sometime during the College Cup.
“I’m thinking that I might leave school at the end of the season and pursue (playing professionally),” admitted Givens, who said that soccer is his first love. He still has a solid year of academics to finish before he can obtain his undergrad.
“I am going to contact some agents when the season is over and go from there. I’m hoping that there is a future in the MLS or a chance to play overseas,” added Givens. “To play soccer professionally has been my goal for a long time.”
For now, Givens would like to help the Spartans, an at-large team out of the Big Ten after finishing tied for second in the regular season standings, make a run in the postseason. In Givens’ collegiate career, he has never played on a team that advanced farther than the second round.
“I am hoping we can make a run. I’m not ready to stop play (collegiately),” admitted Givens. “My freshman year we lost in the second round to West Virginia. In 2008 we lost to UIC on penalty kicks in the first round and last year we lost Duke, 2-1.
“I really would like the chance to win a couple of games and see how far we can go,” said Givens. “
Regardless of the Spartans’ fate in the postseason, Givens has already proven himself a winner at any level — and his best is yet to come.
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Category: Campus Clips, Michigan Bucks, Oakland University, Troy, Where Are They Now?
