Indomitable Spirit

How else could you describe the vision of Giles Thaxter gleefully hoisting the NCAA championship soccer trophy above his head just moments after the Clemson Tigers defeated the Washington Huskies 2-0 on December 12 in Cary, NC, to claim the coveted prize that had-eluded them just months before?

 

“It was surreal,” the 2017 Collegiate School graduate said via Zoom from Northern Ireland where he’s visiting family. “We went up 1-0 very early. Fifteen minutes in, we were up 2-0. A lot of the game, I was standing there reflecting, I can’t believe this is actually going to happen.”

 

It did, though, seven months after the top-seeded Tigers fell to Marshall, the eventual national champ, in penalty kicks in the Sweet 16 of the Covid-delayed 2020 tournament.

 

“I didn’t really know what I’d feel like when the final whistle went,” Thaxter said. “To be able to celebrate with everyone…it was special.”

 

The interesting part, though, was that Thaxter didn’t play even a second in the title game.

 

In fact, his only career appearance was a span of 3:54 late in a 5-1 victory over Louisville on October 29, the Tigers’ Senior Night.

 

So why, then, the joy? Easy. Thaxter “gets it.” That’s why.  It’s not about him. It’s about team. And, man, is Giles Thaxter proud of his team!

 

“I was so excited,” he said, “for all the guys who had grinded their whole life to get to this moment and put their blood, sweat, and tears into the past four years.”

 

Though he’s much more comfortable praising others, Thaxter, too, had contributed considerable time and effort for the opportunity to reach the mountaintop.

 

As a youngster who had moved to Richmond from England when he was four years old, he split his time between travel baseball and soccer. He enrolled at Collegiate as a 5^th grader and played both sports through the Cub and JV level before directing his attention to soccer as a sophomore.

 

Goal keeping became his position of choice, but the Cougars already had a standout, Sawyer Gaffney, Class of 2016 and an All-Prep, All-State, All-Metro, and All-Mid-Atlantic selection who would go on to a solid career at Davidson.

 

“I had to be patient,” Thaxter said. “Sawyer was obviously one of the best goalies Collegiate had every had. I learned a lot from him. I attribute a lot of my skills and success from training with him. It didn’t hurt not to play. I got to do what I loved with my best friends.

 

“When Sawyer graduated, I got my chance to apply everything I’d learned from him when I got in game situations. I loved it.”

 

In his only season as a regular, the Cougars finished 13-5, placed second in the Prep League and advanced to the VISAA quarterfinals.

 

“Giles was always a lover of the sport, and we knew he was a great teammate,” said Shep Lewis, Collegiate’s goalies coach. “When Sawyer graduated, we had no qualms about turning it over to Giles. He worked throughout his senior season, really steadied things in the goal, and was a valuable contributor.”

 

In the ensuing winter futsal season. Thaxter, who had played on the A team for four years, earned MVP honors in the Valentine Classic. 

 

“Giles is one of those guys who loved to play,” said Charlie Blair, Collegiate’s head boys soccer coach for 38 years until his retirement following the 2018 season.  “It didn’t matter if it was pickup, in-season, out of season. He just became better and better.

 

“He really read the game well, and he had this wonderful attitude which is the most important thing. Playing behind Sawyer never seemed to affect him at all. He just worked hard and was always ready and always had a smile on his face.”

 

When Thaxter’s Collegiate career ended, he wasn’t ready to give up soccer.

 

“Just going to practice every day with the boys was an amazing experience,” he said. “It made me fall in love with the game, especially the position.”

 

The position? Where all eyes are on you? Where the margin for error is thin? Where even the slightest miscalculation can lead to an opponent’s goal?

 

“I like the fact that it’s very challenging,” said Thaxter, who’s 6-3, 195. “You don’t have much control over it. At other positions, you have the ball at your feet and you can control what you’re doing. In goal keeping, you’re always reacting. You have to react to what happens in a split second. You have to rely on your reflexes.

 

“That’s exciting. I’ve always been the kind of kid who likes getting into the dirt and diving around. I’m not afraid to put my body right in front of the ball and let it hit me and make the save.”

 

Sounds like an acquired taste, I offered.

 

“Training with Shep every day…I just loved it,” he said. “It made me passionate and want to keep playing after Collegiate.”

 

Thaxter’s freshman year at Clemson, he tried out for the club team, a process which he found more competitive than he had imagined. Of the 150 or so candidates who reported, nine were aspiring goal keepers. After cuts, he was the last man standing.

 

“Making the team was one of the goals I’d set my first semester,” he said. “I was honored to be selected.”

 

He started most of his club-team matches and enjoyed the camaraderie, the travel throughout the Southeast, the opportunity to improve his skills, and the competitiveness. The squad reached the regional tournament each of those years, and his junior season his teammates selected him president of the student-run organization, a sign of the respect he had earned.

 

A mechanical engineering major, he had just begun a co-op program with a company called Plastic Omnium in the second semester of his junior year when he received a text from Camilo Rodriguez, Clemson’s goalies coach.

 

A goal keeper had graduated and another planned to transfer. The Tigers were down to one. We’ve heard about you, Rodriguez said. We’d like you to try out for the team.

 

“I was shocked, as you can imagine,” Thaxter said. “I hadn’t even thought about trying to walk on. It came out of the blue. It was, Holy cow, I’ve got to get training.”

 

Once the paperwork went through, Thaxter reported for the 14-day tryout allowed by the NCAA.

 

“The first day was big,” he said. “The guys treated me very well. They were welcoming and understood that this guy is just off the club team and might be intimidated.”

Were you? I asked.

 

“I was nervous a bit,” he responded, “but I had nothing to lose because I never thought I’d make it this far. I wanted to enjoy it. At the end of the day, it can only be so much different from what I was used to. I had a positive mindset going in. I wasn’t worried about embarrassing myself and getting cut because I knew it was an honor to be there.”

 

He made the squad for the spring season of 2020.

 

Then…Covid. Season canceled. Co-op program canceled. A soccer trip to Italy scheduled for May, also canceled. Ultimately, he returned to the club team because there wasn’t a roster spot for him on the varsity.

 

In typical Giles fashion, though, he made the most of a disappointing and challenging turn of events. He continued to work out. In January 2021, he received another call from Rodriguez. A roster spot had opened.

 

“That was an amazing feeling,” Thaxter said. “This time, I was super ready. It was a great year. We won the ACC regular season championship in the spring of 2021. It was the first trophy I’d ever been part of. I got back on the team. Got to celebrate a championship. I thought that was the peak for me.”

 

Assured of a spot in the fall, he doubled down on his training, even though there were no guarantees of playing time because George Marks, who would earn second team All-ACC honors, was the stalwart.

 

As always, Thaxter was unfazed.  Just as during his junior year at Collegiate, he was just happy to come to practice each day, absorb the culture, share the experience with his friends, and make his teammates better.

 

In his heart, he knew he was contributing. The feedback from coaches and players validated his feelings. He felt privileged just to suit up in a Clemson uniform. Should the call arise, he would be ready and deliver. He viewed this period of his life as a golden moment.

 

Turns out his grit, resolve, and resilience were a microcosm of the Tigers’ season in which they turned the disappointment of their early exit from the 2020 tournament into fuel for the future, earned a spot in soccer’s “Big Dance” as the eighth seed, and won two come-from-behind matches in penalty kicks on the road to reach the finals.

 

In fact, in the semifinals when they trailed Oregon State 1-0 at halftime in the rain in Corvallis before a highly partisan home crowd, Coach Mike Noonan told his squad, We didn’t come this far just to come this far. You’re a good group of players. I believe in you. Let’s go show ‘em the Clemson way.”

What did you learn at Collegiate that carried you to that hoist-the-trophy moment? I asked.

 

“Collegiate played a huge role because obviously I have some good skills to make it this far,” he replied. “The coaches and teachers I had shaped me to have a great attitude and gave me the ability to overcome the tough times.”

Your thoughts as you’ve reflected on the experience? I inquired.

 

“At the end of the day,” he said, “I was playing a game that I love in the nicest facilities with the nicest trainers and the best team in the country. I felt very privileged to be in that spot. There were hard days when it was, Wow, I have two exams today and a three-hour practice, but it was always worth it. Even if we hadn’t won, I got a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play soccer for Clemson.”

Thaxter’s positive presence and indomitable spirit were not lost on his coaches and teammates.

 

“Giles was happy whether he played one minute or didn’t play,” said Rodriguez, his position coach. “He was happy whether he played or didn’t play.”

 

The time he did, though, was memorable for all involved.  In fact, Thaxter referenced his Senior Night appearance as “the best four minutes of my life.” Family and several high school friends made the trip. The stands at Historic Riggs Field were packed almost to capacity.

 

“Giles was a fan favorite,” Rodriguez said. “A lot of people knew his story. When he came in, there was one of the biggest cheers I’ve ever heard for a player. The bench and coaching staff were super happy for him. It was a sign for us about how important he was for the team and program. It was a special moment.”

 ~Weldon Bradshaw