Justin Porter battles during the SoCon Championship game against College of Charleston in 2003.
Wildcats Forever: Justin Porter
6/17/2011 10:00:26 AM | Men's Soccer
Previous Features
With 10 seasons in the history books for Davidson men's soccer head coach Matt Spear, DavidsonWildcats.com got in touch with a senior from each of his 10 teams to discuss their memories of Davidson and see where they are now.
Starting with 2001 and concluding with 2010, DavidsonWildcats.com will post a Q & A with an alumnus every Friday. This week's feature is Justin Porter.
Justin Porter (2000-2003), as a senior, co-captained the Wildcats' 2003 Southern Conference Championship team that finished the year ranked 22nd in the nation. Head coach Matt Spear described the defender at the time as, “the heart and soul of this team.” Porter, a four-year starter, also earned a place on the All-Southern Conference second team and the All-SoCon Tournament team the same year. A Bryan Scholar, Porter also excelled in the classroom, earning Verizon/CoSIDA Academic All-District honors.
Q: Why and how did you choose Davidson?
A: As a kid growing up in the shadow of a large state school, I always thought that's what college would be like. It wasn't until my junior year when I started getting letters and phone calls from Coach Slagle that I even considered going to a college smaller than my high school. I have to admit that I knew precious little about Davidson before being recruited there. But of all the places I visited on recruiting trips, Davidson was the one that left the best impression. The people, the facilities, the setting, and also the weather. I went on one recruiting trip to a school up north that was under a foot of snow in the spring. I was lucky enough to interview for and eventually get the first ever Bryan Scholarship, which is an award that goes to one male and one female student-athlete in each class. So there's definitely a stroke of luck for me in the timing of Lowell Bryan and Davidson's ability to put that program in place the year I came.
Q: How thrilling was it to win the SoCon Championship and go to the NCAA tournament during your senior year?
A: It was certainly one of those days that you never forget. I think it was a combination of elation and relief in that we felt all season that we were the top team in the conference; and we demonstrated that on the field during the regular season. But in the realm of NCAA selection for at-large bids, soccer is similar to basketball in that sometimes it seems the little guys don't always get a fair shake. Our team didn't have to look very far back to remember that, as in my junior year our team was able to put together a very good record against a strong schedule and along the way, beat two teams ranked in the top two including the defending national champions on their home field. Yet when the SoCon tournament got rained out prior to the conclusion that year, the automatic bid potential went away and we ultimately were not selected for the NCAA. That was a painful realization, but it motivated us for the SoCon tournament the following season (which fortunately was not rained out), and we backed up our regular season championship with a tournament championship in which we didn't give up a goal.
Q: What were some of your favorite memories from your Davidson Soccer days?
A: Well it starts with the people and ends with the aforementioned SoCon championships. I feel very blessed that I was able to meet, play with, and become friends with the type of teammates I had. We enjoyed a lot of success; but we worked pretty hard to get it. It was really gratifying for my class in that Davidson had a losing record the season before we arrived and the team improved every year we were there; culminating with the SoCon tournament championship. Beating UNC on their turf the year after they won the NCAA title, and being the first team to beat them since that title, was kind of like a small piece of what all Davidson athletes across all sports shoot for.
Q: What were your favorite memories off the field?
A: Honestly, everything about the process of a season was fun for me. Preseason trips to Wrightsville at Ben Kittinger's house, travelling to and from games with everyone, sharing the experience with friends and family in the stands, losing sleep after painful losses, losing more sleep celebrating big wins...it's tougher to take it all in and appreciate it when you're in the middle of it. But after each season, and certainly after one graduates, it's easier to look back and remember those moments than even the games themselves.
Q: How big of an adjustment was it to play for Coach Spear after a year under Coach Slagle?
A: It's one of those things that you hear people say: choose the school for what it is on it's own rather than for a team or a coach you want to play for. Things change, and we went through that after my freshman year. Coach Slagle had been there twenty-something years and Matt came in without any real head coaching experience, so they were obviously at opposite ends of that spectrum. But Matt made a pretty seamless transition in that he was familiar with the program, lived in Charlotte and kept in touch with the program from the time he graduated. We also had a lot of returning players and starters from the team the previous year, which I think eased the transition.
Q: Did his coaching style change at all as he got a couple years under his belt as the top guy?
A: In my opinion, and you'd have to ask him, but I don't think his coaching style changed in terms of tactics and the x's and o's of coaching all that much in my three years. I think the big thing that comes with any head coaching job that you learn only through experience is player management; and specifically at Davidson, recruiting people who will be the right fit. I think it's fairly tough to keep 25 college students happy with their soccer experience if they're not getting the playing time while still putting in hours of work, or if they're struggling off the field in the classroom or wherever. Not to mention there are plenty of other distractions during college. But keeping everyone on the same page and motivated was what happened my senior year and we reaped plenty of benefit from it.
Q: What was your major and how did the academic and athletic experience help you moving forward?
A: I was a psychology major, and I knew early on that I'd be doing pre-med classes as well. It was a lot of work, and it definitely forced me to become pretty good with time management skills. I'm still not quite sure how I survived pledging during the spring of my freshman year but somehow it all worked out. After Davidson, medical school wasn't nearly as daunting as it was for others in my med school class.
Q: Where are you now, and what are you doing now?
A: After Davidson, I traveled the country with Keith Nicholson, Ty Morse, and David Peoples, who were all former soccer teammates. Then I did medical school back home at the University of Oklahoma, which was actually quite a lot of fun. I got married in 2008 to a Texas-born Sooner that I met through mutual friends after a football game. Then I dragged her out to North Carolina. I'm currently doing my anesthesiology residency at Wake Forest, which is great because I get to see many old friends out here.
Q: What are some tips you would have for current recruits considering Davidson?
A: First of all, it's a wonderful school. I tried to take advantage of it every way I could - academically, athletically, socially, etc. because it's got a lot to offer. I was able to play against plenty of players that have gone on to play in MLS, national teams and World Cups, and the best part is that we beat most of them. But for most of you, who are going pro in something other than sports, there's no better place to be. I count doctors, lawyers, investment bankers, and entrepreneurs among my friends and former teammates; and surely the glory you achieve in that arena will far outlive that which you achieved on the soccer field.
Q: What advice would you pass along to current Davidson players?
A: Haha, probably the same! Except I should congratulate you on making a good choice already.
Q: What do you miss the most now from playing soccer at Davidson?
A: Well, the obvious answer is the people. Except, I still keep in touch with a number of them so we have stayed a part of each other's lives through weddings and even babies for some. There are definitely times where I miss the competition, just the thrill of a big game. You can't quite replicate that in the various Sunday league games. But I feel privileged that I had the chance to experience it at all, as so many others don't.
Q: How often have you been able to return to Davidson to catch a game?
A: I've been fortunate to make it to a couple games a year since I've been in North Carolina the past three years. And, of course, the alumni game.
With 10 seasons in the history books for Davidson men's soccer head coach Matt Spear, DavidsonWildcats.com got in touch with a senior from each of his 10 teams to discuss their memories of Davidson and see where they are now.
Starting with 2001 and concluding with 2010, DavidsonWildcats.com will post a Q & A with an alumnus every Friday. This week's feature is Justin Porter.
Justin Porter (2000-2003), as a senior, co-captained the Wildcats' 2003 Southern Conference Championship team that finished the year ranked 22nd in the nation. Head coach Matt Spear described the defender at the time as, “the heart and soul of this team.” Porter, a four-year starter, also earned a place on the All-Southern Conference second team and the All-SoCon Tournament team the same year. A Bryan Scholar, Porter also excelled in the classroom, earning Verizon/CoSIDA Academic All-District honors.
Q: Why and how did you choose Davidson?
A: As a kid growing up in the shadow of a large state school, I always thought that's what college would be like. It wasn't until my junior year when I started getting letters and phone calls from Coach Slagle that I even considered going to a college smaller than my high school. I have to admit that I knew precious little about Davidson before being recruited there. But of all the places I visited on recruiting trips, Davidson was the one that left the best impression. The people, the facilities, the setting, and also the weather. I went on one recruiting trip to a school up north that was under a foot of snow in the spring. I was lucky enough to interview for and eventually get the first ever Bryan Scholarship, which is an award that goes to one male and one female student-athlete in each class. So there's definitely a stroke of luck for me in the timing of Lowell Bryan and Davidson's ability to put that program in place the year I came.
Q: How thrilling was it to win the SoCon Championship and go to the NCAA tournament during your senior year?
A: It was certainly one of those days that you never forget. I think it was a combination of elation and relief in that we felt all season that we were the top team in the conference; and we demonstrated that on the field during the regular season. But in the realm of NCAA selection for at-large bids, soccer is similar to basketball in that sometimes it seems the little guys don't always get a fair shake. Our team didn't have to look very far back to remember that, as in my junior year our team was able to put together a very good record against a strong schedule and along the way, beat two teams ranked in the top two including the defending national champions on their home field. Yet when the SoCon tournament got rained out prior to the conclusion that year, the automatic bid potential went away and we ultimately were not selected for the NCAA. That was a painful realization, but it motivated us for the SoCon tournament the following season (which fortunately was not rained out), and we backed up our regular season championship with a tournament championship in which we didn't give up a goal.
Q: What were some of your favorite memories from your Davidson Soccer days?
A: Well it starts with the people and ends with the aforementioned SoCon championships. I feel very blessed that I was able to meet, play with, and become friends with the type of teammates I had. We enjoyed a lot of success; but we worked pretty hard to get it. It was really gratifying for my class in that Davidson had a losing record the season before we arrived and the team improved every year we were there; culminating with the SoCon tournament championship. Beating UNC on their turf the year after they won the NCAA title, and being the first team to beat them since that title, was kind of like a small piece of what all Davidson athletes across all sports shoot for.
Q: What were your favorite memories off the field?
A: Honestly, everything about the process of a season was fun for me. Preseason trips to Wrightsville at Ben Kittinger's house, travelling to and from games with everyone, sharing the experience with friends and family in the stands, losing sleep after painful losses, losing more sleep celebrating big wins...it's tougher to take it all in and appreciate it when you're in the middle of it. But after each season, and certainly after one graduates, it's easier to look back and remember those moments than even the games themselves.
Q: How big of an adjustment was it to play for Coach Spear after a year under Coach Slagle?
A: It's one of those things that you hear people say: choose the school for what it is on it's own rather than for a team or a coach you want to play for. Things change, and we went through that after my freshman year. Coach Slagle had been there twenty-something years and Matt came in without any real head coaching experience, so they were obviously at opposite ends of that spectrum. But Matt made a pretty seamless transition in that he was familiar with the program, lived in Charlotte and kept in touch with the program from the time he graduated. We also had a lot of returning players and starters from the team the previous year, which I think eased the transition.
Q: Did his coaching style change at all as he got a couple years under his belt as the top guy?
A: In my opinion, and you'd have to ask him, but I don't think his coaching style changed in terms of tactics and the x's and o's of coaching all that much in my three years. I think the big thing that comes with any head coaching job that you learn only through experience is player management; and specifically at Davidson, recruiting people who will be the right fit. I think it's fairly tough to keep 25 college students happy with their soccer experience if they're not getting the playing time while still putting in hours of work, or if they're struggling off the field in the classroom or wherever. Not to mention there are plenty of other distractions during college. But keeping everyone on the same page and motivated was what happened my senior year and we reaped plenty of benefit from it.
Q: What was your major and how did the academic and athletic experience help you moving forward?
A: I was a psychology major, and I knew early on that I'd be doing pre-med classes as well. It was a lot of work, and it definitely forced me to become pretty good with time management skills. I'm still not quite sure how I survived pledging during the spring of my freshman year but somehow it all worked out. After Davidson, medical school wasn't nearly as daunting as it was for others in my med school class.
Q: Where are you now, and what are you doing now?
A: After Davidson, I traveled the country with Keith Nicholson, Ty Morse, and David Peoples, who were all former soccer teammates. Then I did medical school back home at the University of Oklahoma, which was actually quite a lot of fun. I got married in 2008 to a Texas-born Sooner that I met through mutual friends after a football game. Then I dragged her out to North Carolina. I'm currently doing my anesthesiology residency at Wake Forest, which is great because I get to see many old friends out here.
Q: What are some tips you would have for current recruits considering Davidson?
A: First of all, it's a wonderful school. I tried to take advantage of it every way I could - academically, athletically, socially, etc. because it's got a lot to offer. I was able to play against plenty of players that have gone on to play in MLS, national teams and World Cups, and the best part is that we beat most of them. But for most of you, who are going pro in something other than sports, there's no better place to be. I count doctors, lawyers, investment bankers, and entrepreneurs among my friends and former teammates; and surely the glory you achieve in that arena will far outlive that which you achieved on the soccer field.
Q: What advice would you pass along to current Davidson players?
A: Haha, probably the same! Except I should congratulate you on making a good choice already.
Q: What do you miss the most now from playing soccer at Davidson?
A: Well, the obvious answer is the people. Except, I still keep in touch with a number of them so we have stayed a part of each other's lives through weddings and even babies for some. There are definitely times where I miss the competition, just the thrill of a big game. You can't quite replicate that in the various Sunday league games. But I feel privileged that I had the chance to experience it at all, as so many others don't.
Q: How often have you been able to return to Davidson to catch a game?
A: I've been fortunate to make it to a couple games a year since I've been in North Carolina the past three years. And, of course, the alumni game.
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