Micah Umeh fends off Avon Old Farms' forward Mo Ndiaye. (Mike Gridley/New England Soccer Journal)
Growing up in Bronx, N.Y., organized soccer wasn’t in the cards for Micah Umeh.
His family didn’t have the time or money for club, and his middle school didn’t have the facilities or finances to field a team. As part of a Nigerian immigrant family, Umeh just had his passion and love for the game.
“Our field was the concrete court in the park across the street,” Umeh said.
So when Umeh landed at The Taft School in Watertown, Conn., he was, in a word, confused. Then an admittedly out-of-shape freshman, he wasn’t aware the Rhinos don’t have freshmen try out for the varsity team.
