Soccer player balances sports and academics

Being a student athlete means knowing when to put down the cleats and pick up the books, according to a captain of the Norwich University Men's Soccer Team.

"I'm going to be a professional architect someday, not a professional soccer player," said Mike Lee, 21, an architect major from Syracuse, N.Y. "I always put school first, even if it meant missing practices or games."

In high school Lee played a number of sports such as tennis, lacrosse, and track but was never as serious about them as he was with soccer. "Soccer was where I was at, it fit me better than any other sport," Lee said.

According to Lee, he came to Norwich for the architecture program but was recruited by Head Coach Kyle Dezotell for soccer. It was Dezotell's second year coaching and the first time he had recruited any players.

When asked about having the same head coach for all four years, Lee said, "It's been a good thing, we've had a great relationship and he's taken the team and program to new heights." According to Lee change is inevitable and "his (Dezotell) ability to adapt is great for the program's success."

Dezotell will be entering his fifth season this year with an impressive record of 50-21-5 as head coach for the Cadets.

As a freshman, Lee said that he played very aggressively and really went to it, but now he plays more of a control position on the field. "I've matured into a different player since I've been here," Lee said. "It isn't my skills that have progressed but rather my attitude towards the game."

Of the twelve freshmen who began playing soccer for Norwich in 2007 only Lee and the team's other captain, Roger Motaze, are still playing. According to Lee, senior Zach Blodgett would be playing as well if he had not been red shirted last year due to an injured knee. Blodgett is currently listed on the 2010-11 roster as a student assistant coach.

According to Lee, playing at the colligate level has taught him true teamwork. "What you see on the field is the relationship between the players off the field as well."

Playing on a college sports team really teaches you how to get along with people you might not like otherwise, according to Lee. "It's amazing to me how much off the field relationships affect the performance of the team during games," Lee said.

Lee was never the biggest individual on the team, forcing him to use technique more than force. "College soccer is more physical and I'm a little guy," Lee said. "But I found my place on the field, making the most of what I had."

Lee's approach to the game has worked, being named team captain this year as well as consistently being one of the teams top goal scorers since he first started playing for NU in 2007.

According to Lee, playing soccer for Norwich has established him with positive personality traits that will be with him long after college. "In life I have learned to be calmer, to analyze a situation more discretionally before acting," Lee said. "I can lead with confidence now; I am no longer a follower."

For Lee, the last Alumni game was an event that stood out from the rest. "A lot of players came back for this past alumni game," Lee said. "We had the new squad out there with the old guys backing us up." According to Lee, he hadn't seen many of the alums since they had graduated after his sophomore year. "It was great to be able to celebrate the goals with them, the new team and the old team together again," Lee said.

Having such a demanding major and playing a sport at the same time causes you to live two separate lives at school, according to Lee. "The best thing is after a good victory when I don't have studio work, I can actually go out and have fun with the guys and not be a ghost all the time. I always look forward to those moments."

According to Lee, this season is one filled with change. "I knew this year things weren't going to be the same," Lee said. "Nothing like my heyday was when I was a sophomore; we had the best squad Norwich had ever seen."

"This year was a transitional year so it was more about paying it forward to the next generation, getting them started off on the right foot," Lee said.

Upon graduation Lee plans to "go wherever the work takes me, but eventually I want to have my own firm." According to Lee it takes fifty years for an architect to reach their prime, leaving his near future quite undetermined.

Just because he will no longer be playing for NU does not mean he will kick soccer out of his life for good. "Coaching is definitely a possibility," Lee said. "I've worked with kids since high school as a lifeguard and swim instructor, I would love to carry that over to coaching soccer someday."

When asked if he would do anything differently looking back on all his experiences now, Lee said, "No things have panned out well, it's been a great ride, I wouldn't change anything."

Lee's advice to incoming freshman, athletes or not: "If nothing else, communicate with the people you care about."