Matt Sykes admits baseball was one of the first things he thought of when he received an email from one of the William Carey University men’s soccer coaches.
Sykes, who played baseball at Heritage Academy in Columbus, knew William Carey was strong in the sport, but he didn’t know very much about its men’s soccer program or about the school, which is in Hattiesburg.
On Friday, Sykes took the first step to immersing himself in all things William Carey when the East Central Community College sophomore goalkeeper signed to join the men’s soccer program.
“It was cool to see they were interested in me,” Sykes said. “It was more of a shock than (saying to himself) yes, I am getting looked at.”
Sykes said William Carey assistant men’s soccer coach Barry Farrell emailed him after his sophomore season at East Central C.C. in Decatur. He said Farrell said he liked the way he played goalkeeper and was interested in having him visit the campus. Sykes said he visited the school in January and talked to head coach Nigel Boulton and Farrell and immediately knew that is where he wanted to be.
“Once I got back, I looked over my options of what I was going to do and said this is where I need to be and this is where God wants me to go,” Sykes said. “There was a lot of prayer and patience before He told me where I need to be.”
Sykes had four shutout victories this season for an ECCC team that finished 5-8-2. Even though the team finished below .500, Sykes was pleased with the performance of the defense. He also took pride in the fact he tried to work hard all the time regardless of the score. He understands he might not have been the best goalkeeper in the state, but he said he gives all of the glory to God for blessing him with the opportunity to continue his soccer career.
At William Carey, a NAIA school that competes in the Southern States Athletic Conference, Sykes will join a program with an international flavor. In 2014, William Carey featured a roster that included players from England, Iceland, Finland, Germany, Spain, New Zealand, Portugal, Trinidad, Brazil, and Australia, as well as Canada. Sykes believes he will learn a lot about soccer playing with new teammates from different cultures, but he said a lot of the game will remain the same
“It is definitely a dream come true,” Sykes said. “I played sports through high school. I thought I would have two years to be a regular student (at a four-year school), but it is exciting to know that I am never going to be a normal high school or college student and that I am going to have athletics to keep me in shape and to build connections with people.”
Sykes’ road to William Carey is similar to the one he traveled to get to ECCC. Early in 2013, Sykes didn’t know if he would get a chance to play soccer in college. His fortunes changed in a month when former Heritage Academy standout McGee Ledbetter recommended Sykes to ECCC coach Kenneth Thompson.
Nearly two years later, Sykes will take his talents to Hattiesburg, where he will learn a lot about a new city and even more about the game he loves.
“I didn’t expect to get looked at, but the Lord does some great things,” Sykes said. “He will bless you if you serve Him.
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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