International Captain Brings ?Flash and Flare?

Written by Amy Gwaltney

Being a captain of the JMU men's soccer team as a senior isn't all that uncommon. Being a captain after only two years with the team? Quite rare. Yet, senior midfielder Joel Senior has done just that. After transferring to JMU from Howard University to join the Dukes for the 2008 season, Senior has made his mark.

“Leadership is something you can't make somebody do, and you don't just want it to be a popularity contest,” said JMU coach Tom Martin. “By no stretch of the imagination is that the case with Joel, he earned it.”

Beyond his speed and ball control, Senior says his main strength would be his work ethic. Martin said Senior's quickness and ability to read the game are main contributors to his play, but added the midfielder never fails to set standards and always leads by example.

A native of Kingston, Jamaica, Senior came to the United States as a high school sophomore at the age of 16. He lived with relatives in Maryland while attending Archbishop Carroll, a private high school in Washington D.C. Senior has played soccer since he was 10 years old and had a long list of honors prior to playing at the college level. He was named boys' soccer Gatorade Player of the Year for Washington, D.C. for the 2005-06 school year.

Madison recruited Senior along with some of his fellow club-team members during high school. Yet, Senior chose to attend Howard University initially, as the school was much closer to his relatives in the U.S. Martin understood why Senior decided to stay close to family and added the cultural jump from a metropolitan area to Harrisonburg can be quite difficult, especially after living overseas. But, after two years, Senior felt a call to don the purple and gold.

“I love the way the team plays,” said Senior. “I think it's a much more skillful team, much more organized.”

Martin said Senior's craving for tougher competition was a factor in drawing him to JMU. Last season, he started all 18 games and had four assists and six points.