Daley Stevens is somewhat of an outlier on the Lane United Football Club roster. The team consists mostly of Division I players looking to hone their skills in the off-season. Stevens, however, didn’t play on a scholarship from a major Division I school: he played for the University of Oregon club soccer team.
It’s a fact that still confuses his teammates. At the beginning of the season, he would get asked all the time about how he didn’t get a Division I offer and how he slipped through the cracks. Stevens has moved on from being missed out and now uses his past — and his 5-foot-5 stature — as motivation, not an excuse.
“To see that I was one of the top players on the team by the end of the year told me that the past is the past and I can still do something moving forward,” Stevens said.
Stevens, along with three of his Oregon club soccer teammates, became important players for Lane United, all getting on the field by season’s end.
Stevens sat down with the Emerald to discuss his experience with Lane United and what it’s like to play on a semi-professional soccer team with four of his club teammates.
Would you say that not getting recruited has been fuel to your Lane United experience?
“I’ve always had a chip on my shoulder in high school because I was a smaller player. I think that was something where in high school I used it as an excuse. I told myself I wasn’t getting offers because I was small. Now, for Lane United, I’m saying how about I use that for motivation. For me, it’s kind of flipped from where it was in high school.
“I’m capable of whatever. I just have to work that much harder than the next guy.”
How difficult is it, from a soccer standpoint, to play at your height?
“It’s a bit challenging. In today’s game there is a lot less of a negative connotation to being small. But when I was in high school, it was all big guys. For me, I had to out-quick everybody and that was a challenge.”
How has being a player-coach for the Oregon club team helped you strictly as a player for Lane United?
“Coaches that have worked with me have told me that one of my greatest strengths is soccer IQ and the ability to read and understand the game. As an outside back you’re usually anticipating two steps ahead where the ball is going to go and you have to be there before it happens. If I didn’t have that, I would be exposed more often.”
What does it say that four players from the Oregon club team ended up being factors on Lane United?
“I think it’s pretty cool. We had four guys from our team that were definitely a factor on a semi-professional team. You don’t see that everyday.”
“It definitely says something about the tradition of club soccer here at the University of Oregon.”
Follow Joseph Hoyt on Twitter @JoeJHoyt