Boys Soccer Player of the Year

Will McGinnis was at a crossroads in his life – at least by an eighth-grader’s standards.

Around Charlotte Latin’s middle school, it’d become increasingly difficult for folks to ignore his athletic gifts. On the basketball court, he could run and jump with ease. He could dribble, he could shoot. He just had a good feel for the game.

But on the soccer field, he was more of a standout. Where others his age appeared to make goal-scoring resemble rocket science, McGinnis grace and fluidity made putting the ball in the net appear effortless at times. In many ways, he just felt at home on the pitch.

Still, he was a bit torn.

“I came to a point where I had to make a decision about whether I was going to take soccer pretty seriously or split time with soccer and basketball,” McGinnis recalled.

He smiled.

“It’s been soccer ever since.”

No one would question that decision now. McGinnis recently wrapped up a decorated soccer career at Charlotte Latin, where he was named to multiple all-state teams and, most recently, was one of 10 North Carolina players to be chosen for the prestigious All-South team. On Wednesday, Feb. 3, he’ll sign a National Letter of Intent with the University of South Carolina.

As a midfielder during the 2009 season, McGinnis totaled 14 goals and 20 assists while helping the Hawks reach the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association championship game.

McGinnis also is Carolina Weekly Newspaper Group’s 2009 Boys Soccer Player of the Year.

After shining as a high-scoring forward in years past, McGinnis moved to the midfield this season because that’s where the team needed him most. Charlotte Latin coach Lee Horton said going from scorer to facilitator fit McGinnis’ personality and style of play anyway.

“It’s just the kind of kid he is – he’d just assume get the assist than score the goal himself,” Horton said. “The year before, I had to force him to shoot more. I said, ‘Will I need you to score goals,’ and we went on to win the state championship. He’s just one of the most unselfish players I’ve ever had.”

“To top it all off, he’s a gentleman,” Horton continued. “He’s the type of young man who, if that was who your daughter was talking to on the phone, you’d be OK with that.”

McGinnis’ soccer prowess was years in the making, although he didn’t always play with an eye toward becoming a college prospect. When he was younger, it was all about having fun. As he got older, people rarely saw McGinnis without a soccer ball at his feet. He’d take it to the beach, he’d dribble it throughout the house.

“My mom (Roline) just got used to it,” he said with a laugh.

Sports always have played a role in McGinnis’ life. His father, Scott, played soccer in high school. One brother, an 11th-grader also named Scott, plays football and baseball at Charlotte Latin. Another brother, a Charlotte Latin eighth-grader named John, has shown abilities in other sports, too.

For McGinnis, though, the only sport that came close to making him share time with soccer was basketball. That, of course, led to the big decision his eighth-grade year. But in retrospect, the choice wasn’t really that tough.

“I just loved soccer more,” said the 5-foot-11, 155-pound McGinnis. “It was really what I liked spending my time doing. Basketball was fun, but it was never very serious. It was like, ‘I’ll do it because I’m good at it, and it’s fun to do with friends.’ But soccer always was very serious to me. I wanted to work hard at it.

“That’s what I plan to continue doing when I get to South Carolina.”