Soca Warriors Online Discussion Forum
Sports => Football => Topic started by: E-man on August 30, 2006, 06:32:25 PM
-
Junior Captain - A Team Player In Every Way.
By: Zac Boyer (The Daily Campus).
Storrs, CT (CSTV U-WIRE) -- Despite playing for the 2005 Big East regular season and tournament champions, being the reigning Big East Defender of the Year, returning as a team captain and having his name on the list for the 2006 M. A. C. Hermann Trophy watch list, Julius James refuses to feel any pressure.
Why should he?
"I don't ever put myself under pressure concerning accolades and stuff like that," James said last week at the men's soccer team's annual media day. "The only pressure I put myself under comes from my side, not from any other thing but me feeling like I need to get better every game and improve and help my teammates."
The honors may keep piling up, but for James, they're nothing new. Now a junior, he has faced his share of awards and honors in his career, ranging from representing his home country of Trinidad and Tobago on the Under-17 team to starting every game of his UConn career to picking up three separate Big East Defensive Player of the Week honors.
"A lot of it comes from my teammates" James said about his Defender of the Year honors. "If they didn't play as well as they did, our team would not have done so well and I might not have been considered at all."
Not only a stellar defender, James is also a strong leader. He served as a captain last season during his sophomore year, a title he holds yet again this season and one he's quick to defend, calling it an honor and a privilege.
"You have to lead off the field, you have to lead on the field, and you have to be an extension of the coaches," James explained. "I'm not just spitting things out you read in a book about being a leader, it's something that coach Reid has always tried to impress on us."
James has spent a good time of the off-season looking for ways to hone his leadership skills. During the spring, he would wake up at 5:45 and train for an hour before going to class all day. This past summer saw him picking up two American Sign Language classes, giving him yet another challenge with the soccer season looming closer and closer.
All of this comes after a tough loss in the third round of the NCAA Tournament against Akron last fall, a surprising upset that had much of the team scratching their heads.
James knew to keep his head up, however, and keep his eyes on the prize.
"It was a bit disappointing, but from every situation, I can always learn," he said. "We get tougher. We've been through a lot as a team and we're going to take it as a learning experience because we can't do much about it now."
When the team returned to campus in early August, the coaching staff put them through three-a-day practices, eventually cutting the number to two and then to one as the exhibition season began. The glare in his eyes and the smile on his face showed that he knew the season was beginning and he even confessed that he couldn't wait.
But he knows that despite all the individual honors, soccer is still a team game. James said he joined his teammates before the season to set up a team goal and then signed it, with everyone putting their names to their end of the deal.
What is it?
"We're not going to share it," James said. "I can tell you one goal, though. That would be to stick together and remain close. We're pretty close right now but for us to remain close during the season, that would be an accomplishment."
A team goal for a team player. You can't expect anything else from James.
-
When is the last time he played in national colurs ??
-
When is the last time he played in national colurs ??
May have been in 2003 for the U-23 team. He has not earned a senior cap as yet.
-
I think I remember him being here in Florida when Beenie was giving them young fellas a look see.
-
When is the last time he played in national colurs ??
he play the two games in florida when beenie and dem call him up in ft lauderdale
-
JULIUS go be a national senior team player soon enogh
took the university route so education comes first but i think he in his last yr. (morvant confirm) so look out for digicel then golsd cup
also mls draft coming up
-
JULIUS go be a national senior team player soon enogh
took the university route so education comes first but i think he in his last yr. (morvant confirm) so look out for digicel then golsd cup
also mls draft coming up
Not too sure I want him going to the MLS. Look what they doing to that Shalrie Joseph guy. Julius needs to move to Europe. We need to have our better players playing against the best in the world and gaining experience in the best leagues. Champions League an ting like Yorke and Andrews.
-
for the men who do SAT's
As TI is to Hardest
so is
Morvant is to Julius
-
for the men who do SAT's
As TI is to Hardest
so is
Morvant is to Julius
...and Berris is to Stern ;D
Big Up!
-
Not too sure I want him going to the MLS. Look what they doing to that Shalrie Joseph guy. Julius needs to move to Europe. We need to have our better players playing against the best in the world and gaining experience in the best leagues. Champions League an ting like Yorke and Andrews.
Yeah but remember tha's what Rahim do. He came out of same UCONN as a big star(captain too if i not mistaken), get drafted by the Galaxy in the MLS and turned them down for Europe, and he was considered our next big star so it shouldn;t have been a problem getting a contract...I would hate to see the same fate befall Julius.
-
that's good news about the young player. developing leadership skills, too :), much needed.
well done to julius
-
Well done to Julius. I hope that he keeps it up.
SJS
"Set Standards High"
Morvant and Shotta u remeber that? :)
-
JULIUS go be a national senior team player soon enogh
took the university route so education comes first but i think he in his last yr. (morvant confirm) so look out for digicel then golsd cup
also mls draft coming up
Not too sure I want him going to the MLS. Look what they doing to that Shalrie Joseph guy. Julius needs to move to Europe. We need to have our better players playing against the best in the world and gaining experience in the best leagues. Champions League an ting like Yorke and Andrews.
what move to europe and end up like rahim?
-
We will see what he do after this...Hopefully he could get into a decent MLS team
-
JULIUS go be a national senior team player soon enogh
took the university route so education comes first but i think he in his last yr. (morvant confirm) so look out for digicel then golsd cup
also mls draft coming up
Not too sure I want him going to the MLS. Look what they doing to that Shalrie Joseph guy. Julius needs to move to Europe. We need to have our better players playing against the best in the world and gaining experience in the best leagues. Champions League an ting like Yorke and Andrews.
Going from playing with College students to playing with professionals who been training year round, playing professional games year round is a huge and mostly unwise jump. MLS is not a bad step to make from college. Men like Stern, Sancho and others went the A League route before moving to Europe. MLS is ah step up from A League.
-
i dout he goin mls
de man heading europe
-
i dout he goin mls
de man heading europe
best of luck to him in that move
-
i dout he goin mls
de man heading europe
on a visitor's visa