MLS-Bound Atuahene: I Will Be Forever Grateful
1/18/2018 9:35:00 AM | Men's Soccer, Features
By Steve Kornacki
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Francis Atuahene wins you over.
Even before meeting Atuahene, the high-scoring University of Michigan forward who is about to become a top Major Soccer League draft pick, his remarkable story connects with your heart.
He was raised by his grandmother, Adua Amoma, who sold the tomatoes and vegetables she raised to support herself, Francis and four cousins who lived in a one-room dwelling in Techiman, Ghana. He remains devoted to her.
Francis was one of nearly 300 young boys invited to a Right to Dream Academy soccer tryout and did not move from his spot near the field for more than 12 hours for fear that when his name was called, he would miss the chance of a lifetime. But when finally called upon to audition, he became one of five selected.
That allowed Francis to move to Accra, the capital city with more than two million residents, and live in a dormitory setting while attending school and soccer training with 90 other prodigies from seven African nations. The best of the best receive scholarships to U.S. prep schools, and Francis earned one of those.
He attended Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut, which lists a Supreme Court justice, the founder of Time Magazine, an Olympic gold medal winner and numerous entertainment industry and business world giants as graduates. There, Francis met classmate William Pasik, who asked him to come home during breaks to Manhattan, and Tim and Kate Pasik became Mom and Dad. Twins Arin and Jessica Pasik became his sisters.
Soccer powerhouses Virginia and North Carolina came knocking for his services at the school in the picturesque Berkshire-Taconic region. So did Michigan coach Chaka Daley and his assistant coach and recruiting coordinator, Tommy McMenemy, who won the recruiting battle for the kid from Ghana.
Francis wanted to be part of building a special program, and this season, as a junior, he scored the winning goal in double-overtime at Maryland for the 2-1 victory that resulted in the Wolverines winning their first Big Ten soccer championship.
Someday when he's done playing and earns his International Studies degree, Francis would like to work for the United Nations on public health issues and "make a difference back home in Ghana and Africa," putting his desire, compassion, knowledge and finances to work in order to serve those there who only need a chance to show what they can do.
In other words, he wants to pay it forward, opening the doors that so many once opened for him.
So, if that doesn't win you over as a fan of Francis Takyi Atuahene, you need only to speak with him. He's selfless though driven, humble, appreciative, and lights up the room with his smile.
Atuahene wins you over as surely as he wins soccer games.
"For as much as he's a smashing player," said Daley, "Francis is a better young man. He says he was fortunate to be given the opportunity here, but we were fortunate that his character, personality and ambition matched his talent.
"And because of how Francis was raised, he comes from very humble beginnings. So, he's always very humble and hard working. When you ask him to do something, he trusts. I'm really proud of the man he's become, the 3.0 (grade-point average) student he was, as well as the player he became."
How does Atuahene put into words all that has happened in his life?
"It's hard to explain," he said. "Because when I was coming in, I had a lot of expectations, and the coaches had a lot of expectations for me. The main reason I wanted to be part of the Michigan men's soccer team was that they were building something new.
"For me, coming from Ghana to Hotchkiss in Connecticut and then coming to Michigan, for me to be at my best, I need to feel at home. I got that feeling the minute I stepped on campus here. I need to know people are watching out for me and care because I've come far from Ghana. It's always been about having a great relationship with my teammates and coaches, and I wanted to be on the first team to win the Big Ten championship."
He scored a goal in the rain -- in the 104th minute of a game that required two overtimes to determine -- to make the Wolverines 2-1 winners on Oct. 29 at College Park, Maryland, and thus winners of the conference championship with a 6-1-1 mark and overall record of 12-6-2.
Your WINNER!!!
— Michigan Men's Soccer (@umichsoccer) October 29, 2017
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"I just wanted to win," said Atuahene. "I remember my freshman year, we lost to Maryland, and Coach (Daley) told me, 'Remember this feeling so you don't have to repeat this again.' The following year, we went there and the same thing happened, and he said the same thing again.
"So, during that moment in the second overtime, I didn't want to go back to that feeling of being so close but not doing it. The defense was doing its job. The midfielders were doing their job, and the forwards were, too. I was fortunate to score that goal, but honestly it was the dedication everyone was putting in together, everyone not wanting to lose again and really wanting to win, was the key reason why we won.
"It was fun to get that goal at the end, but in the end it was about the way we were all willing to win. That motivated and pushed me even higher to do my best in that second overtime. When we won, I was just so excited and enjoying the moment. I thought, 'Oh, wow! We just won the Big Ten!' It was a huge moment, especially coming at Maryland. It took us a week just to calm down from that achievement."
Daley said, "You couldn't write a better script. And it's so ironic that Francis, who believed in us to come here and start that new trajectory, got the opportunity in double-overtime, and with a few minutes to go scores the winning goal. Anyone could've scored the goal but it was meant for Francis.
"It was perfect."
A "Perfect 10," you could say.
When Atuahene came to Michigan, he posed an interesting question to Daley:
"Can I wear No. 10?"
Daley explained: "Pele, (Diego) Maradona and (Lionel) Messi have all worn No. 10. It's the iconic number in soccer. Francis didn't know he was getting No. 10 until pre-season play his freshman year. And when our coaching staff then asked him what his goals were, he said, 'I just want to earn the right to wear No. 10 again next year.'
"Imagine that, a young kid saying he wanted to earn the right to wear 10 again? He's an outstanding ambassador for what we represent for the players here, the players who will follow him, and the players that are looking at Michigan. He embodies what we are doing here."
Atuahene, according to Daley, matured, "developed soccer IQ," and improved in technique and leadership while becoming the 2015 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, a two-time first team All-Big Ten pick and also a second team all-conference selection. The 5-foot-9, 170-pound offensive blur scored 24 goals in 49 games.
"One of the main reasons I chose Michigan was because I knew I'd feel at home," said Atuahene. "Coaches Chaka and Tommy, and all the coaches, really welcomed me and made me feel at home. Those relationships motivated me to play. They always reminded me, 'Good enough is not good enough'. And I take that onto the field in the back of my mind for every game, and it helped me achieve what I wanted to achieve."
What goals, aside from winning a conference championship, did he have?
"It was the same goal I had since I was little -- to have the opportunity to be on a professional team -- and coming to Michigan I knew that was a possibility. And then I got the goal of getting a Michigan degree, and I will take on-line courses to make sure I get that degree. My goals are to become a professional and a Michigan graduate."
Atuahene was one of five "lottery picks" selected from the prestigious Generation adidas program of which he is a member, and on Friday (Jan. 19) is expected to be a very high pick in the annual MLS SuperDraft.
He's joined Peri Marosevic, who also left Michigan after three seasons in 2008, as the second Wolverine to earn Generation adidas status, and would become Michigan's 10th MLS signee -- the seventh since Daley became coach six seasons ago.
Atuahene, ironically, had a chance to work with Marosevic, a volunteer coach for the Wolverines during his freshman season.
On the first day of practice, Daley told Atuahene: "This guy's the real deal. Pay attention to him. Maybe one day, Frankie…' "
Atuahene has spent the past week at the MLS scouting combine in Orlando, and said he has no preference, adding that he's looking forward to playing for whoever drafts him. But his long-range goal of reaching the elite English Premier League comes with a specific desire -- to play for Liverpool -- because he loves their style of play and their coach, Jurgen Klopp, who is charismatic and big on relationships.
When his days playing "The Beautiful Game" are over, his goal is to return home.
"It was brutal there," Atuahene said of his youth. "But for me, my grandmother is everything. She raised me well. I was so fortunate, though, that Right to Dream came to my village for tryouts, and that I was one of the five. I actually got to play wearing cleats, eat great food and get a free education. I began learning English, and three years later came to Hotchkiss.
"I had a host family there that I got so close to that I now consider them, basically, a family. They have been very influential, and have always been there for me, making sure I am well-supported and giving me the family I never really had in Ghana. The Pasiks have been more than I ever could've hoped for. I'm so fortunate."
Atuahene also gave a heartfelt "thanks" to Daley, McMenemy, assistant coach Jhojan Obando, volunteer assistant coach Marcos Ugarte and program assistant Justin Makar.
"They all contributed to my development here as a player," said Atuahene. "They took me in here, and I hope they keep doing that when I'm not here."
Daley, seated nearby, added, "You're going to make me cry, Francis."
Francis smiled and said, "You guys have always set the bar high for me and pushed me to give my best. And my teammates, who I have been through rough times and good times with, we have always stuck together to come out on top. I'm glad I was able to do this with my teammates and have the pleasure of being a friend with people I will always be able to rely on. And I want to thank our fans, who were so supportive.
"For all of the guys who are maybe planning on coming to Michigan, this is the best opportunity you could ever have with the best education and best coaches. You can achieve all of your goals here. Anything is possible for you as a Wolverine. For a kid from Ghana to come to Michigan and connect to all of this, I will be forever grateful."
