STANDISH — The conversation was casual. The recruiting pitch even more informal.
If you’re coming to the U.S., check us out, said the college soccer coach to the young London tour guide. Small, friendly campus beside a Maine lake. I think you’d like it.
Paul Robins nodded. He played a bit of soccer, or football, as it’s called in the rest of the world. His college plans were up in the air. He’d think about it.
That was 2007. Last week, Robins leaned forward in his chair in his coach’s office at St. Joseph’s College, shaking his head at that chance meeting. He’s a senior tri-captain of this year’s team, the midfielder who directs his teammates with the insight and intuitiveness of the coach he hopes to become.
He’s also older at 24 and the definition of the English term cheeky, but more on that later.
Visa problems delayed his arrival in America by three weeks. Classes had already started. The team was bonding. The Englishman was coming but no one really knew how good he might be or how his personality would fit.
His flight landed at Logan on a Friday in late September. As Robins walked through the terminal he saw crowds in front of televisions. The Yankees were playing the Red Sox. He didn’t understand the sport, but he recognized the passion. This was just like Liverpool vs. Manchester United.
A quick trip to Standish was followed by a quick return to the Boston area to play Emanuel College that Saturday. Sunday, the opponent was the University of Maine-Presque Isle. Robins scored once is his debut and added two more goals and an assist for an encore in his second game, all within 24 hours. One of Sunday’s goals was the game-winner.
He was jet-lagged. He was trying to match names to shirt numbers and faces. He was grateful they shared a common language even if the same words sometimes meant different things.
Robins, or Robbo, as he came to be called, wasn’t shy and knew how to connect. Or maybe people listened so intently because of the accent and the cheekiness. He grew up in the county of Cornwall in the far southwest of England. Sparcely populated. Lots of beaches.
He wasn’t meant to be a tour guide in London. His knowledge of history was spotty but he loved to talk. Besides, there was no quiz afterwards. The Yanks were on vacation.
Joel Bancroft, then the soccer coach at St. Joseph’s, brought a team of teenagers to England in 2007 for a series of games. A trip to London was on the itinerary. Hello, I’m your tour guide.
Bancroft left after Robins’ sophomore season. In a cost-cutting move, St. Joseph’s had eliminated another position Bancroft held on campus. Upperclass teammates protested. Behind the scenes, Robins worked to help the team move on.
Last season, under new coach Steve Babineau, St. Joseph’s won its conference title. On a team dominated by seniors, Robins stood out with his leadership, helping build the bridge from one coach to the other.
He’s a physical education major in Dr. Sue Kelly’s department. She tells the story of getting a phone call about incidents of bullying at a school playground in Windham. Could she send a couple of her students to help?
Kelly sent Robins and a teammate. “Paul walked on the field, talked to the kids, blew his whistle and had them playing in five minutes,” said Kelly. “These were fourth-graders. He stopped the bullying. He’s got a gift.”
On the other hand, he’s Robbo, St. Joseph’s version of Ricky Gervais. A hustler in more ways than one. To raise money for the soccer program, players sold replica jerseys with their name on the back. Robins sold 110, although others say it was closer to 200. Either number is far more than any of his teammates.
From Monks Confessions, a feature on the St. Joseph’s website, you’ll learn that before he dies, he hopes to have a quote trademarked, be considered an uncle to a family of ligers – that’s a mating of tigers and lions – and to have a grandstand at Anfield (home of Liverpool) named after him.
He doesn’t drive a car, he gets chauffeured. “It’s true. I don’t have my license. I never got around to it. I have a lot of friends who will drive me places.” Including his girlfriend.
He is, he says, living the American dream. Such cheek.
Staff Writer Steve Solloway can be contacted at 791-6412 or at: ssolloway@pressherald.com
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