By John Rosenstock, Athletics Media Relations Student Assistant
Senior member of Longwood Men's Golf Team
For sophomore men’s soccer standout Martin Vickerton, the rigorous NCAA Division I competition Longwood faces this season is nothing out of the ordinary. Vickerton is accustomed to going up against some of the best players around the world.
Martin Vickerton hales from Derbyshire, England, a hotbed of soccer talent and excellence. Martin was born into a soccer family; his grandfather played at a very high level and his whole family is infatuated with the game. An older brother, Andy, started playing at a very young age, which created the desire for Martin. He remembers kicking the ball around in his backyard as young as two or three years old.
At age 8, Martin had already decided that simply playing the game for fun with Andy in the backyard was not enough, so he asked his parents to enroll him in competitive soccer. He joined a local recreational team, and after just a few games, the Nottingham Forest Soccer Academy scouted out Martin to come play for them.
“I stayed at Nottingham Forest FC all the way until I came out here to play,” recalled Vickerton.
Vickerton had great success all through his career in England’s junior soccer program, but in 2006, it was time for a new endeavor, playing college soccer in the United States.
When asked how he ended up at Longwood, Vickerton responded, “I didn’t look at schools until very late in the year so it was kind of a last minute thing. I was looking at clubs in England to play for but I decided I wanted to carry on my education as well as carry on playing soccer and I was advised to come over to America. I was in contact with a few schools, in different states including Indiana, Maryland, and Florida. I came over to Longwood for a visit and really liked the campus, the players and the coach especially because he was English. So I decided to come here.”
Vickerton enjoyed a phenomenal freshman season as a defender, one of only two Lancers to start every game, compiled a team-high three assists, and earned NSCAA All-North Atlantic Region Third-Team honors.
Martin Vickerton brings more than his talent to the Longwood men’s soccer team. He brings experience at a level that most players have not had the opportunity to be a part of. This past summer, Martin was selected to represent his country in the World University Games in Bangkok, Thailand, the third largest sports competition in the world. The Great Britain team was made up of 16 players who are currently playing at colleges in the United States, and four players still playing in England.
“The experience was fantastic, seeing things in Thailand you'd never think they have. We were presented with a certificate and a tie for representing our country and hopefully I will be selected again in two years as it is held in Belgrade, Serbia.”
Vickerton has enjoyed Longwood life off the field as well since arriving last year. He noted that he has formed some great friendships with his teammates and spends a lot of his free time with them. He also proudly carries a 3.27 GPA through two semesters.
When asked about his soccer experience at Longwood, Vickerton is pleased to report that the team spirit and desire among players and coaching staff is tremendous.
“Our head coach, Jon Atkinson, is a players’ coach which I think is the right way to be and he has a good playing background himself. This year we have had the addition of two assistant coaches, Bill and Keane, and I feel they have both made the team better as well.”
Martin Vickerton and the Lancers have gotten off to a very respectable start at 3-5-2 (as of October 10), including victories over Rider, North Florida, and Adelphi as well as an impressive 1-1 overtime tie with ACC-member North Carolina State. Look for them to continue their strong play this season, with five more home games remaining at the new Athletics Complex for soccer (see schedule on homepage).
