Yahoo Finance Clemson soccer’s Isaiah Reid will soon rep Rock Hill at NCAAs. Why that matters to him
At 8 years old, Isaiah Reid organized and officiated a full day of soccer at his Sylvia Circle Elementary School. At 14, and then again at 15, Reid and some of his friends put on a soccer camp called “Goal Chasers” for the York County Boys and Girls Club — a fun two days of spreading soccer joy, soccer love and soccer skills.
And at 19? That desire to give back is still there.
Reid is now a forward on the No. 4 Clemson men’s soccer team. The South Pointe High School graduate — who moved from Kings Mountain, North Carolina to Rock Hill when he was 4 years old — scored his first career goal in March. He helped the Tigers to their 14th ACC championship in the fall, and now he and his team are poised for a deep run in the NCAA tournament, which will begin April 26.
A bit of brilliance early on from Isaiah Reid and #ClemsonUnited
– https://t.co/spHHr3BEiA
– https://t.co/XF2waIIPv0#ClemsonUnited pic.twitter.com/DhugAwQgy0— Clemson Men's Soccer (@ClemsonMSoccer) March 7, 2021
In a phone interview last week with The Herald’s Alex Zietlow, Reid didn’t talk much about his accomplishments. Instead, he talked about his path from Rock Hill to Clemson; what it has been like playing in a soccer season affected by COVID (which might have permanent effects on the game’s future); and, most significantly, his passion for growing and giving back to the sport of soccer in his hometown.
This interview has been edited for brevity. One question has been reordered for clarity.
Meeting Isaiah Reid
Zietlow: Rock Hill is known for its athletics, but I’ve never known it as a soccer hotbed. How did you get into soccer?
Reid: So, I’ll just start at the beginning.
Zietlow: Please do. Start from the very beginning.
Reid: So, initially, my hobby was drumming. I was a huge drummer. That’s pretty much all I did, you know, going up to 5 years old. But it was my brother, Josh Reid (24) — he’s the one who got me into soccer. When we moved to Rock Hill, he played club for Discoveries Soccer Club, which I think is called Charlotte Independence Soccer club now. But it was originally called Discoveries.
And I was like, ‘Yo, Mom and Dad, I want to do what my brother is doing. I want to play travel soccer and play against good competition.’ … Like you said, Rock Hill is not really a big area for producing soccer talent, so the club was small. So (as a 6-year-old) I had to play on the U9 team. And ever since my first game, I just fell in love with it. That’s literally all I’ve done with the rest of my life. I’ve really only played soccer since age 6, and I’ve absolutely loved it. …
When I turned 14, I got an offer to move to a developmental academy team in Charlotte (called Charlotte Soccer Academy DA), which is only 20 minutes up the road. It was a big opportunity. … It’s disbanded now, but that was the most elite league you could play in. And you know, I took the opportunity at 14, and I went to a camp in Clemson, and then I went on a visit and ended up committing there. …
I committed my sophomore year of high school. A lot of people are like, ‘Sophomore year is pretty early.’ But I’ve been a Clemson fan ever since I was little. And when the opportunity came, I was like, ‘There is nowhere else I’d wanna go.’
Zietlow: Your brother, Josh: Did he play college soccer?
Reid: Yeah. So, my whole family turned into a soccer family. My parents didn’t play soccer. My dad played football and my mom ran track (as high-schoolers). But my brother played soccer for Discoveries all the way up until college, and he got a scholarship to play at Queens University in Charlotte. And then my sister also played for Discoveries Soccer Club.
‘Soccer is growing’ in Rock Hill, Fort Mill
Zietlow: I know you couldn’t play for South Pointe because of the club you played for in Charlotte. But that notwithstanding, what was it like being a soccer player from Rock Hill and actually making it? Do you ever dwell on that?
Reid: Yeah. That’s something that’s really part of my identity. And I take a lot of pride in that. Like you mentioned, Rock Hill is called Football City USA for a reason. A lot of players from Rock Hill, they go to the NFL, they’re going to elite D1 college programs. But you know, soccer isn’t as popular. And so when I came to Clemson, it was a huge accomplishment for me because it really showed that the kid from Rock Hill can do it. You don’t have to be from a big area like Charlotte or Columbia or Greenville …
I definitely take a lot of pride in that. And I’m glad to see that soccer is growing in the Rock Hill and Fort Mill area. And I’m loving to see that younger kids are starting to get opportunities, and I’m starting to see kids from my area getting D1 offers.
Zietlow: I know you’re still young, but do you ever come back and help with camps and try to build the sport in that way?
Reid: Soccer is one thing that I’m extremely passionate about. When I was 12 or 13 years old, I actually organized a soccer camp in Rock Hill for the Boys and Girls Club. ... So I did a soccer camp for two years. Kids who are a little less fortunate than others, I wanted to be able to share the game with them.
I’ve talked to many people, and in terms of what I want to do in the future, obviously I want to go pro. But I also really want to give back to the game in some type of way because I feel like the game has given so much to me. … I would love to come back and maybe work with the Charlotte FC MLS team and grow soccer, not just in Charlotte, but you know the Charlotte metropolis area and my hometown, Rock Hill, Fort Mill and other areas.
Playing for Clemson soccer in COVID
Zietlow: That’s awesome, man. Going back to your athletic path: What was it like once you got to Clemson? What was your freshman year like?
Reid: Freshman year, I just tried to learn from players who were ahead of me, and when I would get time, I would be prepared to come off the bench and make an impact.
Zietlow: This is probably normal, so forgive me for shedding my ignorance, but you’re listed as a “forward/defender.” That doesn’t make much sense to me (laughs). What does that mean?
Reid: Yeah, I forgot to mention that in my whole story of coming up here: When I went to Clemson camp, I got recruited as a left back. The left side of the defense. But really, my first semester of sophomore year and really late in my freshman year, coach (Mike Noonan) was playing me as a left-winger because of my speed, and I guess he saw something in me that I’d be able to contribute with the team in the attack. So my first semester of my sophomore year — last semester — I played left back versus Duke and Virginia Tech, but I would also play left wing. So I’m a defender and a forward.
This semester, I’ve only been playing left wing.
Zietlow: I know your sophomore year has been special because you’re playing more this year and doing a lot with your time. But it’s also been strange because of COVID: You won the ACC championship in the fall, but because COVID postponed the NCAA tournament until late April, you essentially played a year-round soccer schedule — which, as you know, more aligns with a professional league schedule and has gained momentum among college soccer fans/coaches as the way of the future.
So, in so many words, what has this season been like from that perspective?
Reid: Yeah, that’s that 21st century model that Coach has been talking about, playing year-round. When we do play in one fall season, you could end up playing three games within eight days, you know? You play on a Friday, Tuesday, another Tuesday. It can be a lot on your body to squeeze in an ACC championship, NCAA championship and a full season all in one semester. So playing one game per week, it does break it up a little bit. And it’s easier with school as well, knowing that you just have one game on the weekend and during the week you can focus on your studies and whatnot.
‘Don’t give up on your dreams’
Zietlow: Finally, I know we’ve hit on this a lot in this interview, but if you could give any advice to up-and-coming soccer players from Rock Hill or from York County, what would you tell them?
Reid: Have the mentality that you can make it. That’s what I did. I told myself every single day that I’m going to go to a D1 school, I’m going to go pro, I’m going to make it happen — and by doing that, I would do extra training sessions and put myself in positions to reach success. …
So to soccer players in the Rock Hill area: Don’t give up on your dreams. But you gotta make them happen by having the mentality that you’re going to make them happen. That’s probably what I’d tell them.
When to watch Clemson soccer next
No. 4 Clemson will play No. 1 Pittsburgh on Saturday at 7 p.m. at home. A win gives Clemson an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament. That said, the Tigers, who’ve been nationally ranked all year, are shoo-ins for an NCAA berth.
