Written By: Stephen Gowen
Staff Writer
You may often ask yourself: what keeps the athletes going? When they don’t want to run that extra lap or lift that extra set, what keeps them pushing on? The answer is simple, the love of the game.
They know that when they step between the lines there is nothing they would rather be doing. It is this love of the game that drives Old Dominion soccer Monarch Chris Harmon to push himself and his team that extra distance it takes to be a champion.
Born to a large, sports loving family in Downingtown, Pennsylvania, Harmon attributes his love for sports to his father and older brothers, who instilled it at an early age.
“I have three older brothers who are really into sports.” Harmon said, “My dad is really into it and I grew up going to Philly games and loving sports as much as them.”
This early love for sports channeled itself into a love for soccer, which blossomed at a young age and grew stronger the older Harmon got. Harmon worked to find a spot on one of the premier club soccer teams in the country, FC Delco, which won the Pennsylvania State Cup seven times.
Along with Delco, Harmon anchored the midfield at Downingtown West High where he filled the role as captain and led his team to a 2008 state championship. Harmon credits his time spent at Delco and Downingtown West to building his role as a natural leader and developing his skill.
“Delco was a rich reputation for having professional players so that helped,” Harmon said. “Downingtown, my senior year, had about six players who were all going to play Division-I soccer.”
Playing on such premier clubs and earning national recognition made Harmon a top recruit for Old Dominion, a place where he felt at home right away.
“The seniors here: Tommy Webb, Daniel Lidster, Michael Roura and Drew Smith, all made me feel so welcome.” Harmon said, “They made me feel at home and made me feel like I wanted to be part of the ODU program and the next week, I committed.”
Harmon was a fixture in the Monarch midfield almost immediately after arriving. He saw starts his freshman year and was successful.
“I can only thank the coaching staff for putting their trust in me and putting me out there, especially at such a young age.” Harmon said, “I had a lot of early success, playing in almost every game.”
Harmon’s skill only grew with his time at Old Dominion and led to him scoring four game-winning goals last year for the Monarchs. But Harmon finds joy not in the personal accomplishment of scoring a goal, but in the team accomplishment of winning the game.
“It feels great to score the goal, but it feels even better knowing you won the game” Harmon said, “Whether it’s me or another player, the best feeling is knowing that you got the win as a team. That’s the most amazing feeling.”
His early success, drive and intensity led to Harmon being named a captain for his team this year, following in the footsteps of past Monarchs.
“I played as a captain in high school, but this was my first year collegiately and it’s a huge deal for me.” Harmon said, “It was a huge honor, passed down by players before me, and I try to follow their example.”
Being a leader and an example for the younger players is something that Harmon feels he is naturally good at and enjoys.
“I think that’s one of my best qualities.” Harmon said, “I get along with everyone and I think that they feel like they can come to me and talk to me about anything. I think I do a good job of reaching out to them.”
This natural ability to lead is something that Harmon sees himself applying in the future.. A Health and Physical Education major, Harmon hopes to coach if playing soccer at the next level doesn’t work out.
“I think we all dream of playing at the next level, but I would like to coach collegiately or at a high school level.” Harmon said, “I’ve been playing since I was five years old, I think we all love the game so much and want to stay with it.”
With the CAA tournament fast approaching, Harmon and his fellow captains will try to lead their team to a championship title, and a run in the NCAA Tournament.
Photography By Marlie De Clerck
