In many ways, the nature of what the Homegrown Player initiative is all about was on display Thursday night at Thompson Park.
Ben Swanson formally completed his signing at a ceremony surrounded by the Crew Juniors' Under-9 Gold Boys East squad -- the same age club with which Swanson began his Crew Youth career. It's the beginning of the ultimate dream for a player who was the longest tenured player in the Crew Youth programs.
"I remember being these kids' ages, especially with the Crew when I first started," said Swanson. "Seeing what the Crew Youth development has became the past 10 years or so is really unreal. It first started out with one team per age group, and now look at it. To be able to go from U-9 to the First Team, I'm honored. It's a surreal moment right now and I can't wait to get started."
"I think this is a great example for the young kids, for them to see the pathway," added Sporting Director and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter. "It takes a lot of dedication. It takes a lot of dedication from the family, the player, the community to get them to the pro level. There's nothing better to see one of Columbus' products to sign a pro contract."
Swanson's rise through the Crew Youth system over many different levels is what makes his journey from U-9 player to signing a professional contract so special.
"Anytime we can add a Homegrown to the roster, I think is a great day for us," said Andrew Arthurs, the Crew’s Senior Vice President of Business Development and Executive Director of Crew Juniors. "As we add players who have been with us for four, five, six, seven years, it carries more meaning for sure that they've been a part of the player development system but also part of our family."
"You grow up in this area, going to practice here and having tryouts here," added Swanson. "To be able to have a community where everyone I've known can come watch me, I feel honored to be a part of it."
Swanson will formally be added to the Crew's roster on January 1, 2015. In the meantime, he is training with the First Team while also simultaneously attending Grove City High School, where he was recognized during his classmates' football game on Thursday night. It's the start of a process that will require an adjustment to the professional game, something Berhalter says is the priority.
"He's certainly a player that is ready to take the next step, and we felt like the next step is becoming a pro," said the Crew boss. "Now these next couple of years, navigating that to get him on the field and get him performing in the stadium, that's going to be the tricky part. We're going to have to be careful about his progress and really work with him to develop."
Swanson has routinely been challenged by playing up levels throughout his youth career, but those have been experiences that the midfielder has utilized to better himself as a player, on and off the field.
"You're always being the young guy," said Swanson. "My teammates in the past have embraced me. I've learned from them and picked their brains, everything that they know. Now, they have players like Wil Trapp and Matt Lampson, [players] that came through. They know what it's like to be a Homegrown."
Swanson, as the ninth Homegrown Player in club history, is the latest embodiment of soccer's growth in this region and the connection between the Crew and the community it calls home.
"I take tremendous pride in [representing Columbus]," said Swanson. "Seeing players that have gone through the program, what it means to the community, I couldn't be more proud."
