In December 2013, senior Chris Allen and his father scrolled through a website listing of soccer camps for international academies and clicked on a link that sparked Allen’s interest in studying abroad.

Allen recently committed to play soccer at the Richmond International Academic and Soccer Academy (RIASA) in Leeds, England. The academy provides North American soccer players an opportunity to grow as athletes while experiencing England’s rich soccer culture and receiving a quality education.

Because Allen was unable to attend RIASA’s December soccer camp in San Antonio, he contacted the team’s coaches and expressed his interest.

“… We gave them a call and said, ‘Hey, we’d love to come to one of these camps, but we just can’t make this one,’ so they said, ‘Okay, we’ll send a scout out to watch one of your games,’” Allen said.

Scout John Roeslein invited Allen to attend RIASA’s soccer camp in Orlando, Fla. in March, where Allen was asked to join the team.

“… I was stoked; I was ecstatic, and I said, ‘Yeah,’ right away,” Allen said. “All I had to go do was just go talk to my parents, and they were real supportive and on board immediately.”

Allen feels he will fit in better with the English style of soccer than with the American style.

“The American style is very direct especially in the college ranks,” Allen said. “… They look for a lot of players who are finished products already … I need a little more time to be able to grow and develop, so this is the best opportunity that I can see.”

Would you ever leave the country for college?

• Yes
• No

View Results

 Loading ...

Allen hopes that playing at RIASA will help him achieve his dream of becoming a professional soccer player.

“[RIASA is] prepping you more for just life in general, their sole purpose isn’t to produce professional players,” Allen said. “But they have had a few kids come through there and go off to a professional team, so that’s good to hear as well.”

Because of his experience playing soccer at Free State and on club team, Sporting Kaw Valley, Allen believes he is prepared to take the next step in pursuing his lofty goal.

“Coach [Kelly] Barah has been huge in my development as a soccer player and a person,” Allen said. “I can’t imagine where I’d be now without people like him and my club coach Oumar Seck in my life. They taught me a lot of discipline [and] responsibility, and really instilled the desire and the drive to be the best I can be on and off the field.”

Barah appreciates the hard work that Allen displayed throughout his time at Free State. He believes that Allen’s dedication to improvement has helped him reach his current skill level.

“To see a young man not have it all and work towards trying to achieve—not knowing what achievement looked like—has just been brilliant,” Barah said. “He truly captures the emotions of the song ‘Started From the Bottom and Now We’re Here.’”

At RIASA, Allen expects his teammates to challenge him and plans to benefit from the tough competition.

“I think it’ll be great, very rigorous and extremely competitive,” Allen said. “… There’s just no way that you can’t get better in an environment like that.”

Although Allen will miss his family and friends, he has been confident about his decision from the start.

“That’s been the best click of the mouse I’ve made in a long time,” Allen said.