When American soccer fans think of where players first fell in love with the game, their mind likely jumps to hotbeds such as California, the mid-Atlantic region, and the Pacific Northwest. The small blip on the radar that is Rhode Island is often a peripheral afterthought, but maybe it shouldn’t be.
Michael Parkhurst grew up in the Edgewood community of Cranston, R.I. and has gone on to enjoy a storied career in Major League Soccer and several European leagues, as well as prominent stints with the U.S. national team. He has accumulated awards and trophies wherever he has gone and is arguably one of the more consistent U.S. defenders of the last decade.
Through an acute soccer IQ, an impressive passing ability, and pugnacious defensive instincts, Parkhurst has defied the perception of athletes who call the Ocean State home.
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Much like many youth players throughout the country, the 31-year-old’s journey first began in his local soccer league. After getting introduced to soccer with the Cranston League for Cranston’s Future organization, Parkhurst quickly moved into the world of club soccer with Bayside United.
While there, and under the guidance of coach Stacey DeCastro, Parkhurst quickly realized that soccer could be a lot more than a casual town league sport. Local and national tournaments, close bonds with friends on the team, and a high level of play all drove the defender to slowly becoming the player he is today.
"I had a great time," Parkhurst said. "Stacey really introduced me to soccer competitively and that’s when I fell in love with it. Still some of my closest friends today are friends that I grew up playing with at Bayside. We had a really close bond and were a really good team. A lot of fond memories of growing up playing and it’s really why I’ve always loved playing the game."
As fruitful as the Cranston native’s experiences were with Bayside, things got complicated somewhat when high school rolled around. His siblings enrolled at La Salle Academy in Providence, but Parkhurst's desired path with soccer didn’t make sense there. After all, the La Salle season began with preseason in August and lasted until mid-November at the latest.
A high level of collegiate soccer was always on the table and that type of schedule wasn’t conducive to the type of player Parkhurst wanted to become. Therefore, a then-teenaged Parkhurst made the decision to leave his home and enroll at the famed IMG Academy in Florida.
To put it lightly, the environment at IMG proved to be invaluable.
"It’s just a whole different ball game [at IMG]," Parkhurst said. "I was able to go down to Florida, train year round in a competitive environment with some very good coaches, and I’m very thankful to have had that opportunity and even more thankful that my parents allowed me to go down there. You never know how things would unfold if you make different choices, but for sure it put me on the right path to where I am today."
While there, IMG provided Parkhurst with opportunities that he would have never gotten back home in Rhode Island, the least of which was exposure to the vigilant eyes of coaches from many of the country’s top soccer programs.
Jay Vidovich, who coached the Wake Forest University men’s soccer team from 1994 to 2014, spotted the high-school-aged Parkhurst and persuaded him towards becoming a Deamon Deacon student-athlete. Vidovich's attempts were successful, as Parkhurst ultimately played three years at Wake Forest.
"I learned a lot about the game when I was down there," Parkhurst said. "I took my learning and my game to another level. To be around it 24/7 and 365 [days] almost, you really learn what it takes to be a good athlete as far as preparation and doing things off the field properly like taking care of your body."
With all of those experiences in hand and a passion for the game that developed in the small world of Rhode Island soccer, Parkhurst was on the verge of realizing his dream.
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Upon entering the 2005 MLS SuperDraft, Parkhurst didn’t have to wait long to hear his name called. In fact, the moment he had been waiting for occurred with the ninth pick and meant he was heading to the place he wanted to most: home.
The New England Revolution decided to go local with their first-round selection and, after years of life away from family and friends, Parkhurst finally would return to where it all began. It also didn't hurt that he grew up watching the Revs in person and on TV.
"It was a dream and was surreal," he said. "It was the club I wanted to go and it worked out perfect. It was the first time being back home since before high school, so it had been a long time since I was able to see friends for a prolonged period of time, see my family, have my family be able to see me play live. So it was a great day when I got drafted."
Emotions aside, Parkhurst more than proved his worth on the field. He was named MLS Rookie of the Year in his inaugural season, named MLS Defender of the year in 2007, earned an MLS Best XI nod in 2007, and was a crucial cog in the Revs’ run to three straight MLS Cups in 2005, 2006, and 2007.
There was overwhelming success on the field and valuable time spent with family and friends, but the defender still felt like something was missing. The Revs team he grew with slowly disseminated and a change of scenery was in the cards. So, when Parkhurst’s rookie contract expired at the end of the 2008 season, he packed his bags and left home again.
"Things were changing with the Revs - guys were moving on, that last year I was there wasn’t the same as the other three, and I felt I needed a change of scenery to experience something new with my career," he said. "I felt that if I was ever going to try Europe it was going to be then or it was going to be never. I wanted to give it a shot, get that experience."
Looking back on that choice now, it is one that Parkhurst does not regret. His first stop was a five-year stay at Danish side Nordsjælland, after which he briefly joined Germany’s FC Augsburg. Additionally, his time in Europe was marked by three trophies in Denmark, a regular place in the Champions League, and participation in Europa League qualifiers.
While accomplishing all of that, Parkhurst never lost sight of his roots and just how much Rhode Island influenced his continually blossoming career. Along with Attleboro, Mass. native and fellow Bayside player Geoff Cameron, those who can so strongly connect with Rhode Island like Parkhurst are few and far between.
Many of his close friends and teammates missed out on their chance to break into the professional ranks, so he is that much more appreciative of how far he has come.
"I think that even when I’m playing professionally, there are guys growing up that I played with at Bayside that could have made it pro and wanted to make it pro, but for whatever reason it didn’t work out for them," Parkhurst said. "Then I’m out there being able to live the dream and I wanted to make sure I bust my butt every day and work hard. I’m doing it not only for me, but for all those guys who are watching me and living the professional life through me."
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Parkhurst’s professional journey now has him playing with Columbus Crew SC, but the Rhode Island memories are never far away. Whether he was with the Revs, the Crew, Nordsjælland, Augsburg, or the national team, the defender always was prideful and appreciative of his beginnings.
While not close to retirement, his career is nearing its waning years and Parkhurst is hopeful that he is not the last Rhode Islander to make it professionally.
As Parkhurst has shown better than anyone, Rhode Island may be a small state, but it's in no way a permanent obstacle to success.
"Just because you’re in a small state with less teams doesn’t mean you can’t get noticed," Parkhurst said. "It doesn’t mean you can’t make it. You have to take your opportunity when it comes and it doesn’t matter where you’re from or how big you are. If you have the talent, the desire, and the push you can make it."