Technical Sessions: Geoffrey Cameron

Play Up To Your Best Ability

Technical Sessions #2

Geoffrey Cameron and several of his Rhode Island University teammates have just returned from an early morning run on the beach. You would expect his next logical destination to be some well-maintained field. However, the harsh New England winter has forced the URI midfielder indoors as he prepares for the 2008 MLS Combine.

“It is tough for me because I am living up north in Rhode Island. You can’t hit balls outside in the grass or anything like that. I am training in a gym doing technical drills, sprint, and endurance. In the morning, I run two to three miles on the beach with a few of my teammates and then we go the gym for a technical session in the afternoon. I am just trying to stay as fit as possible. When I get down to Florida, I will have to adjust quickly to playing on grass again and I will have to get used to the warm weather.”

Cameron joined the team for the 2006 and 2007 season after transferring from West Virginia. The Rams found team success in his first year ending with a win in the Atlantic 10 Championship and a seed in the NCAA Tournament. This year the team began slowly and never found their 2006 form. They eventually lost in the A-10 semifinals 1-0 to UMASS. URI ended with a 9-8-2 record. Cameron reflected upon his two years at URI.

“I have a lot of memories with my teammates from the last two years. We had a really good 2006 season. We won the A-10 Championship and made it to the second round of the tournament, but fell short. This year we had a tough schedule, especially our first five games. We weren’t clicking, but we pulled through the hard times and made it to the semifinals of the A-10 Tournament.”

Although the team’s ultimate goals were not reached, Cameron’s midfield work was recognized as he was named the 2007 Atlantic 10’s Midfielder of the Year.

“I had no clue! We were in Ohio at the A-10 Tournament and they announced it before the tournament started. When they said that I received the A-10 Midfielder of the Year, I was completely shocked. I got compliments from coaches after games, but I wasn’t expecting it. I tried to be consistent in every game. It was a great honor; I am sure it helped me out with being selected for the combine.”

While he admits that he is anxious for the day to arrive, he is also confident that his abilities will show through once in Florida.

“You want to stand out but you don’t want to be flashy or go out of your realm. I am going to keep it simple, but also use my creativity both on and off the ball. I am going to look for a good first touch. I want to stay consistent. You have to play up to your best ability.”

The midfielder is not the only Ram who will attend the MLS Combine. Forward Lukasz Tumicz also was invited. Cameron feels that having his teammate and roommate down in Florida will only work to both players’ advantage.

“We know each other so well having been teammates these last two years. We will keep each other positive down there.”

Cameron committed to countless hours on the beaches of Rhode Island in preparation for the MLS Combine. Shortly, he will be playing up to his best ability with his collegiate peers under the warm Florida sun on a field of fresh, green grass. Positive thinking under such conditions will be simple.