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Former Spartan to Ink Deal with Shamrock Rovers
Posted October 27 2010 at 9:06 pm
By Maya Todd
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The goalkeeper in a soccer match is arguably the most important position on the field. A goalie has to be big, quick, tough and smart, while never letting down his team.
In his senior year for UT, Ryan Thompson started 19 games in goal, saving 85 shots for a .833 save percentage. With four shutouts amassed, he allowed 17 goals all season, resulting in a .88 goals allowed per game percentage. | Abby Sanford/The Minaret
Ryan “Godda” Thompson is the definition of a goalkeeper. Thompson was a four-year goalkeeper for the Spartans from 2005-2009, starting during his junior and senior campaigns.
He began his soccer career in simple pick-up games during school and after. His friends placed him in goal because they believed they had no use for him on offense.
His best friend at the time, who played for a club team in Thompson’s home country, Jamaica, saw potential in Thompson and would not let it go to waste.
Thompson began playing with the same U-14 club team, Harbour View.
He explained that he was the “worst goalkeeper to try out” and the fans “pretty much hated him.” Even with these ideas in his head, he found that he loved soccer and would continue to work at becoming the best goalkeeper he could be.
The coach for Harbour View looked past the negative comments and saw the same potential in him that Thompson’s friend had seen.
“We’re going to win with you,” he told Thompson. That’s when Thompson knew he could not give up.
Over the years in Harbour View, Thompson won various honors including the most improved player award as well as the most valuable player. Here he also got his nickname. “Godda” came about when teammates told him he was like Godzilla in the goal, fierce and powerful.
At 17, Thompson was invited to train with the Jamaican National U-20 team. He arrived at the camp and on the first day was told that they would be looking at a different goalkeeper.
A year later, Thompson was invited back to train with the Jamaican National team and made it as the second string goalkeeper. During their first tournament, they traveled to Germany, where Thompson improved to first string. Thompson was named vice captain and the No. 1 goalkeeper in his country while playing on the U-20 and U-23 national teams.
Among other coaches, the UT’s head men’s soccer coach Adrian Bush contacted Thompson. They scheduled a visit to UT and from the minute Thompson got off the plane, he knew it was the right place for him. He loved every aspect of UT.
Thompson said that Bush is his mentor, idol and big brother. He truly admires Bush and called him his angel for pulling Thompson out of Jamaica and giving him such an amazing opportunity. With the scholarship to UT,
Thompson was able to become the first member of his family to graduate from college.
Thompson was named a captain in his freshman year and remained a captain for the rest of his time at UT. The only other University of Tampa player to do that was Adrian Bush.
Preseason of his freshman year, Thompson hit a bump on the road to his dreams. UT faced the University of South Florida in a preseason match that would prove to be the cause of Thompson’s first collegiate injury. During the game, Thompson broke his toe, making him unhealthy for the rest of the season.
The problems didn’t stop there. During his sophomore year, the NCAA had trouble clearing Thompson to play because of a controversy in which the NCAA believed he had played professionally in Jamaica.
Thompson thought that he may have to go back home and that he had lost his chance at his dreams. Regardless of the heartbreaking news, he went to practice every day.
With the help of Bush, Thompson presented a case to the NCAA to regain eligibility. The NCAA gave Thompson an ultimatum; he could either play the rest of the season and give up his senior year, or sit out the season and play as a senior.
Thompson chose to finish out the rest of the season and give up his senior year to help the team he loved and had been with from the beginning. That year, Tampa ended its season with a shootout loss in the NCAA Regional Finals.
The following year, Thompson took a different approach. He felt as if he needed to renew himself and change things up. He decided to wear a skin-tight jersey with the uncommon number of 99. Thompson dedicated his entire summer to train for the season, sacrificing a visit home to see his family.
Tampa’s team successfully pushed their way through the season, ending up in the NCAA Final Four. The team lost in the semifinals, and Thompson was drained mentally. When he went home for Christmas he barely ate and did not touch a soccer ball for nearly two months.
Back in Tampa, Thompson pleaded and won yet another case; this one was in order to regain eligibility for his senior year, which he had previously given up. After receiving eligibility, he knew that his senior year was his last chance to win a collegiate national title.
His senior year, UT made it as far as the NCAA National Semifinals, losing to Lees-McRae University in the cold and frigid North Carolina weather.
Thompson concluded his career at UT as a first-team All-American and two-time SSC Defensive Player of the Year. He also received SSC Defensive Player of the Week on multiple occasions, including three different times just in 2008.
After college, when things did not work out with Major League Soccer (MLS), Thompson headed to a United Soccer League (USL) combine. Thompson suffered a concussion on the first day of practice with USL, causing his name to quickly go unnoticed and his chances of playing professionally to decrease.
After so much trouble trying to go pro in America, Thompson decided to take a few steps back and join a club team to further his skills of the game. He traveled to Maine to join a Professional Development League (PDL) team.
Both the fans and the coaches in Maine were impressed with his abilities.
When his PDL head coach Paul Baber knew that Thompson was ready, he made a call to Ireland. He spoke to the head coach of the Shamrock Rovers, an Irish Premier League club. Baber put his reputation and credibility on the line for a player he’d known for just a few weeks, a gamble that proved to be the right one.
In the cold weather of Ireland, Thompson received an incredibly warm welcome from the players and the coaches. After two weeks, head coach of the Rovers decided to extend Thompson’s stay for another two weeks.
Thompson got called into the office at the end of the four week period. He explained that the Shamrock Rovers wanted him on their team and would do what they could to get him on the roster. The potential contract with the Rovers should be finalized in December after the team works out the numbers and a living situation for Thompson.
Thompson is looking forward to this new opportunity in Ireland, although it is very different from his home country. He said that he can feel the brotherhood of the Rovers and is amazed at the passion of the spectators. He is also glad that he can help his family survive back in Jamaica on a much greater scale.
The young, inexperienced goalkeeper from the projects of Jamaica that was once Ryan Thompson, is now a professional soccer player playing in the heart of Ireland. All of the obstacles that Thompson had to climb and the tears he has shed have now finally been justified.
When asked what Thompson’s next endeavor will be since his goal of competing professionally seems to be falling in place, Thompson responded with a hefty ambition.
“World Cup 2014. I want to be there. I will do everything in my power to be there.”
Maya Todd can be reached at mtodd@spartans.ut.edu.
Posted October 27 2010 at 9:06 pm
By Maya Todd
ShareThis | Print | Leave a comment
The goalkeeper in a soccer match is arguably the most important position on the field. A goalie has to be big, quick, tough and smart, while never letting down his team.
In his senior year for UT, Ryan Thompson started 19 games in goal, saving 85 shots for a .833 save percentage. With four shutouts amassed, he allowed 17 goals all season, resulting in a .88 goals allowed per game percentage. | Abby Sanford/The Minaret
Ryan “Godda” Thompson is the definition of a goalkeeper. Thompson was a four-year goalkeeper for the Spartans from 2005-2009, starting during his junior and senior campaigns.
He began his soccer career in simple pick-up games during school and after. His friends placed him in goal because they believed they had no use for him on offense.
His best friend at the time, who played for a club team in Thompson’s home country, Jamaica, saw potential in Thompson and would not let it go to waste.
Thompson began playing with the same U-14 club team, Harbour View.
He explained that he was the “worst goalkeeper to try out” and the fans “pretty much hated him.” Even with these ideas in his head, he found that he loved soccer and would continue to work at becoming the best goalkeeper he could be.
The coach for Harbour View looked past the negative comments and saw the same potential in him that Thompson’s friend had seen.
“We’re going to win with you,” he told Thompson. That’s when Thompson knew he could not give up.
Over the years in Harbour View, Thompson won various honors including the most improved player award as well as the most valuable player. Here he also got his nickname. “Godda” came about when teammates told him he was like Godzilla in the goal, fierce and powerful.
At 17, Thompson was invited to train with the Jamaican National U-20 team. He arrived at the camp and on the first day was told that they would be looking at a different goalkeeper.
A year later, Thompson was invited back to train with the Jamaican National team and made it as the second string goalkeeper. During their first tournament, they traveled to Germany, where Thompson improved to first string. Thompson was named vice captain and the No. 1 goalkeeper in his country while playing on the U-20 and U-23 national teams.
Among other coaches, the UT’s head men’s soccer coach Adrian Bush contacted Thompson. They scheduled a visit to UT and from the minute Thompson got off the plane, he knew it was the right place for him. He loved every aspect of UT.
Thompson said that Bush is his mentor, idol and big brother. He truly admires Bush and called him his angel for pulling Thompson out of Jamaica and giving him such an amazing opportunity. With the scholarship to UT,
Thompson was able to become the first member of his family to graduate from college.
Thompson was named a captain in his freshman year and remained a captain for the rest of his time at UT. The only other University of Tampa player to do that was Adrian Bush.
Preseason of his freshman year, Thompson hit a bump on the road to his dreams. UT faced the University of South Florida in a preseason match that would prove to be the cause of Thompson’s first collegiate injury. During the game, Thompson broke his toe, making him unhealthy for the rest of the season.
The problems didn’t stop there. During his sophomore year, the NCAA had trouble clearing Thompson to play because of a controversy in which the NCAA believed he had played professionally in Jamaica.
Thompson thought that he may have to go back home and that he had lost his chance at his dreams. Regardless of the heartbreaking news, he went to practice every day.
With the help of Bush, Thompson presented a case to the NCAA to regain eligibility. The NCAA gave Thompson an ultimatum; he could either play the rest of the season and give up his senior year, or sit out the season and play as a senior.
Thompson chose to finish out the rest of the season and give up his senior year to help the team he loved and had been with from the beginning. That year, Tampa ended its season with a shootout loss in the NCAA Regional Finals.
The following year, Thompson took a different approach. He felt as if he needed to renew himself and change things up. He decided to wear a skin-tight jersey with the uncommon number of 99. Thompson dedicated his entire summer to train for the season, sacrificing a visit home to see his family.
Tampa’s team successfully pushed their way through the season, ending up in the NCAA Final Four. The team lost in the semifinals, and Thompson was drained mentally. When he went home for Christmas he barely ate and did not touch a soccer ball for nearly two months.
Back in Tampa, Thompson pleaded and won yet another case; this one was in order to regain eligibility for his senior year, which he had previously given up. After receiving eligibility, he knew that his senior year was his last chance to win a collegiate national title.
His senior year, UT made it as far as the NCAA National Semifinals, losing to Lees-McRae University in the cold and frigid North Carolina weather.
Thompson concluded his career at UT as a first-team All-American and two-time SSC Defensive Player of the Year. He also received SSC Defensive Player of the Week on multiple occasions, including three different times just in 2008.
After college, when things did not work out with Major League Soccer (MLS), Thompson headed to a United Soccer League (USL) combine. Thompson suffered a concussion on the first day of practice with USL, causing his name to quickly go unnoticed and his chances of playing professionally to decrease.
After so much trouble trying to go pro in America, Thompson decided to take a few steps back and join a club team to further his skills of the game. He traveled to Maine to join a Professional Development League (PDL) team.
Both the fans and the coaches in Maine were impressed with his abilities.
When his PDL head coach Paul Baber knew that Thompson was ready, he made a call to Ireland. He spoke to the head coach of the Shamrock Rovers, an Irish Premier League club. Baber put his reputation and credibility on the line for a player he’d known for just a few weeks, a gamble that proved to be the right one.
In the cold weather of Ireland, Thompson received an incredibly warm welcome from the players and the coaches. After two weeks, head coach of the Rovers decided to extend Thompson’s stay for another two weeks.
Thompson got called into the office at the end of the four week period. He explained that the Shamrock Rovers wanted him on their team and would do what they could to get him on the roster. The potential contract with the Rovers should be finalized in December after the team works out the numbers and a living situation for Thompson.
Thompson is looking forward to this new opportunity in Ireland, although it is very different from his home country. He said that he can feel the brotherhood of the Rovers and is amazed at the passion of the spectators. He is also glad that he can help his family survive back in Jamaica on a much greater scale.
The young, inexperienced goalkeeper from the projects of Jamaica that was once Ryan Thompson, is now a professional soccer player playing in the heart of Ireland. All of the obstacles that Thompson had to climb and the tears he has shed have now finally been justified.
When asked what Thompson’s next endeavor will be since his goal of competing professionally seems to be falling in place, Thompson responded with a hefty ambition.
“World Cup 2014. I want to be there. I will do everything in my power to be there.”
Maya Todd can be reached at mtodd@spartans.ut.edu.
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