Junior Yared Ogunro was a prospective student who aspired to play for the Wildcats soccer team. An assistant coach approached him at one point, but Ogunro was not sure about joining the team.
Ogunro was born to play soccer. His appreciation for the Nigerian international soccer team came from his father being born there. Both his parents lived in England and passed on the tradition of rooting for Manchester United in the English Premier League to him and his two brothers.
“My love for soccer will always be a part of me,” Ogunro said. “It’s something I’ll never let go.”
But Ogunro did not realize the commitment he was about to make. He decided to pursue another venue for his love of the sport.
“It came to a point where I realized that I won’t be playing soccer for the rest of my life,” Ogunro said. “I wanted to enjoy my college experience, but I’ve been playing since I was born. I e-mailed the club soccer president to see if I could play.”
Ogunro, who eventually became the club president this past year, had found his niche.
The commitment for club soccer is not nearly as much of a burden as a varsity sport. But it allows players to continue to compete at a high level.
“It’s definitely some of the best -quality soccer I’ve played in a while, and I’ve been playing competitive soccer my whole life” junior Bobby Kren said. “Both times in the tournaments we’ve played in, we’ve ran into teams that have won the entire thing – the University of Illinois and the University of Michigan.”
As club president Ogunro has all the administrative responsibilities. He not only acts as the team’s coach, but also conducts practices and schedules the team’s opponents.
“I have coached little kids before, but it’s not the same,” Ogunro said. “When you have older guys and best friends on the team, it is hard to assume an authority role. You have to be an (expletive) for the better of the team.”
The club soccer team practices four times a week during the fall to compete in the Midwest Soccer Alliance, the regional club soccer league. Doing well within the division can help them qualify for the regional and national tournaments.
NU’s opponents are not run-of-the-mill competition. The team faces NCAA Division II and III teams as well as other club soccer teams from the Big Ten. The club soccer team has advanced to the regional finals two of the the last three years, failing to do so this past season.
Despite NU’s recent disappointment, new team president Tyler Felous has made strides to prepare his team for another run to the regional tournament.
“I have a lot of responsibility and I’m accountable for everyone coming to practice,” Felous said. “I want to get that whole team culture back together that we had (in years past) so we can get back (to the tournament).”
Whatever the result, the commitment to the club remains undivided. Soccer is an integral part of their lives, and playing for the club soccer team allows them to continue the sport, without varsity pressures.
“We’re all friends here,” Felous said. “We do team dinners every once in a while and see each other on weekends. It’s almost like a frat outside of a frat.”
