Notre Dame is getting a good one.
That's the best way to summarize the news that Dallas-area midfielder Dillon Powers has given a verbal commitment to Bobby Clarks' Fighting Irish. The two-way central midfielder from Andromeda SC and TopDrawerSoccer.com national top 10 for the 2009 graduating class made his decision at the end of May.
Powers is a good athlete who has developed his soccer brain very well. His technique is what you would expect from a certified soccer junkie who has grown up around the game.
Dillon's father Michael Powers played professionally both outdoors and indoors, including for the Dallas Sidekicks for 15 years. He has coached Dillon most of his travel career, having taken the reins of a club team fellow Andromeda coach Oscar Borgarello started 10 years ago.
Michael and Dillon Powers both say the two are able to avoid the pitfalls associated with fathers coaching their own children at the youth level.
"In my experience lately, I haven't really had another coach," Dillon said. "I don't want to be treated any differently. I just want to be a normal player. It's nice we can have a close relationship and he can be open about what I do wrong. There's no barrier there."
One thing helping Michael in that department is that Dillon doesn't do too much wrong on the soccer field, But the elder Powers said Dillon's makeup, plus his own personality and experience as a player help keep him from putting too much pressure on Dillon.
"It's been very easy for me because Dillon's always loved the game," Michael Powers said. "It's not a case where you see parents telling their kids "You gotta do this or that.' I'm not the kind of coach or dad to give much feedback after the game, so I quiz him on the way home about ‘Why'd you do that?' If he comes up to me I can give advice, but there's not too much feedback from me after the game.
"You see coaches and parents yelling from the sidelines, but the players on the field have to be able to make decisions," he continued. "I do think it helps me to coach my son and see things on the field because of my experience playing, although I don't claim to know it all. I've left it more to teaching skills. We've always had some kind of goal in the yard where we can work on that."
Whatever Powers is doing as a coach, it must be working. The Andromeda SC team has qualified for the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships in the U17 age group. Among other top prospects on the squad, Dillont will be joined at Notre Dame by fullback Grant Vandecasteele .
Michael Powers credits Borgarello with starting the group well, the players and their families with helping foster the kind of chemistry needed to keep many of the group together for 10 years, and the successful infusion of new players over the past few years.
Next season, the team will be entering the USSF Development Academy League along with a handful of other Texas club teams.
"I think it will be a good change for us," Dillon said. "It sounds more like what other countries do with their teams so I'm hoping it will make us better."
Getting better is something Dillon has been working at for a long time.
"Ever since I could walk I've been playing soccer," Dillon said. "I knew I really loved the game. From when we first started playing select soccer, we've had success."
The Notre Dame commitment is another success. Powers looked at SMU, Georgetown, Stanford and St. Louis, but decided on The Fighting Irish in the end.
"I really liked the coach. Bobby (Clark) seems to be a great guy," Dillon said. "He's fun to be around and seemed to know me pretty well. The campus is great and the academics are good which is important to me along with soccer. I want to have a career after soccer or if soccer doesn't work out."
Soccer working out is a distinct possibility for this player.
"Eventually I'd love to play professional soccer," he said. "I've had a few coaches tell me I have the capabilities to do that. I just need to keep working hard. "
