Bryan Vogel II spent a lot of his youth soccer days playing in older age divisions.
Vogel believed the time with older, bigger, and faster players would prepare him for high school career and, he hoped, give him an opportunity to play soccer in college.
First, though, Vogel had to experience being a “mini.” Vogel and his middle school classmates earned the nickname for their youth and their lack of size compared to the members of the New Hope High School varsity boys soccer team.
“It really made us better as people,” Vogel said. “It was really hard to get through.”
Vogel smiles as he thinks back to the time when he was a “short, pudgy” middle schooler. He can smile because he has matured from a “mini” into a tall, lean young man who has become a fixture on the New Hope High School boys soccer team.
On Tuesday morning, Vogel officially turned all of his experiences into an opportunity to play soccer at the next level when he signed a National Letter of Intent to play soccer at Itawamba Community College in Fulton.
“I am more capable on the ball,” said Vogel, who signed after making a verbal commitment a month to a month-and-a-half ago following an official visit to the Fulton campus. “I can hold my own. I am the right size now. I guess I am more confident on the ball.”
Vogel started as an outside midfielder at New Hope High and then moved to center midfielder. He said he also has played center midfield and forward for the Trojans. He has played defensive and attacking midfielder for his club teams in Tupelo, Amory, and Starkville.
In addition to being a solid soccer player, Vogel is a strong student who takes pride in his work with the school’s robotics club. He said he plans to study engineering, which is why he selected ICC.
“My parents have always kept me to a high standard,” Vogel said. “They have always pushed me to keep a 4.0 (grade-point average) and to keep focused on my sports.”
Vogel’s relationship with ICC men’s soccer coach Mike Sullivan made his decision easier. He said the first soccer camp he attended was at ICC, and that he wound up attending camp there four years in a row. Vogel twice was named “camper of the year,” which helped him attract the attention of Sullivan. Vogel said he remembers Sullivan telling him when he was 12 years old that he would be looking for him when he was older and that he wanted him to play soccer for him.
Mary Nagy and Brian Meggs coached and taught Vogel earlier in his career at New Hope High, so they aren’t surprised he will get a chance to play soccer in college.
Nagy, who taught Vogel as a junior in Advanced Placement Language and Composition, said he epitomizes everything a coach and a teacher expects from a student-athlete.
“He had to be self-motivated and a hard worker,” Nagy said. “He had to be able to manage his time being a student and an athlete. He also is very involved in robotics and plays club soccer, so to say he has additional time, he really does not.”
Nagy, who coached Bryan’s sister, Sam, on the New Hope High girls soccer team, said Bryan is a leader on the field who is mature beyond his years. She believes he will accomplish all of the goals he sets for himself.
Meggs agrees. He taught Vogel in trigonometry, pre-calculus, and calculus at New Hope High. He said Vogel always was striving to do his best on and off the field.
“I could see he had the potential to be a future star on the soccer field,” Meggs said. “He has an intrinsic motivation that drives him to do well in all aspects of his life. His parents are awesome because I know they have motivated him to try to do the best he can.”
After starting out as one of six “minis,” Vogel and Nathan Wilson are the only ones that remain. Nagy joked Vogel and Wilson have played soccer together since they were “mini minis” in the Columbus park and recreation. Both players have learned plenty of lessons along the way, including what it means to persevere and stay focused on a goal no matter your size. Vogel showed Tuesday he is reaping the dividends from having that mind-set.
“Bryan works hard in the classroom and on the field from the time he was a tiny, little seventh-grader,” Nagy said. “Watching him mature on the field, it was obvious soccer is his passion.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 32 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 32 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
