Luke chose Sewanee for its academics and the chance to keep playing soccer at a level that would not demand an all-consuming commitment. He is drawn also to the campus and overall fit.
“I chose Sewanee for the academics and for soccer,” Vincent said. “I wanted to go to Division III because I didn’t want to have a huge commitment. I think the campus is really pretty. There’s a lot of things that just click together.”
His recruiting process showed that getting noticed takes persistence and is more than a single message as coaches often overlook the first contact.
“If you email [coaches], they don’t necessarily think that you’re worth it, so you’ve got to email a few times before they want to see you for the first time,” Vincent said.
Vincent did not always plan to play in college. The idea came gradually as he kept playing through middle and early high school. Soccer was always the thing he returned to. Off the field, soccer taught him that reaching goals requires sacrifices, especially of time and social things.
“There’s a lot of sacrifice,” Vincent said. “If you want to get something done, sometimes you have to sacrifice.”
What he will miss most is the daily closeness with his high school teammates.
“Yeah, just being at school with them all the time. Some of the guys on my high school team are my best friends,” Vincent said.
