Keeping up with the Deacs: Anthony Arena
10/23/2013 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Oct. 23, 2013
By Jenn Leser, WakeForestSports.com
During his time at Wake Forest [2009-2012], Anthony Arena was a key part of the Demon Deacon defense, being named to the All-ACC Freshman Team in 2009 and the Al- ACC Second Team in 2010. The Kenmore, Wash., native scored five goals and had one assist in the Old Gold and Black. Since graduating in the fall of 2012, Arena was drafted by the Houston Dynamo in the Supplemental Draft and made his MLS debut on June 1.
How has your career been since leaving Wake Forest?
"It's gone by pretty quick actually. After leaving Wake, I was drafted here [Houston] in the supplemental draft. I came out here, was here through all of preseason, for about three or four days, when I found out they were going to sign me. I signed a contract and came back to Houston and it kind of kicked off real quick. Since then, it's been a lot of training, and I finally saw action in my first game, when I played in a U.S. Open Cup match. The next game, the Columbus game [June 1, 2013] was my first MLS game. I played in that, but I got hurt right after that, so I've kind of seen it all in my first few months."
What is the most important thing you learned at Wake Forest?
"Wake is such a professional environment, so I think that really prepared me for moving onto the next level. Everything you did, how you were treated as a person, how you were expected to be around other people, it was all very professional. I think that's helped me get to the next level."
What was your greatest memory at Wake Forest?
"I think it would be my freshman year, when we beat UCLA at home in the Elite Eight to go to the Final Four."
What has been the biggest transition after leaving Wake?
"Just consistency. Being in college, you can kind of get away with having a bad day here and there. In the pros, it's a lot different. You have to be at your best all the time."
What do you miss most about Wake Forest?
"I think the atmosphere that was there. You're with a group of guys for three, four years and you get to know Wake real well. You make a lot of great friends. It's just saying bye to people you've met. I left a semester early too, so everyone in my class got to hang out for one more semester and that kind of bummed me out. Obviously, I'm glad I am where I am right now."
Do you stay in contact with other Demon Deacon players in MLS?
"It's been great actually. I've talked to every team we've played with a Wake guy, even if he was ahead of my time, I've gotten time to talk to him and sit down with him. They're all good guys and I've enjoyed that part of it. You step away from Wake but then you realize we're a family out here in the league. It's all been great."
Given the number of Demon Deacons playing soccer professionally, what do you think that says about Coach Vidovich's program?
"It just proves what Coach Vidovich is doing at Wake is something special. He keeps turning out players. It's not just guys who get to the league but stay in the league for a lot of year. It kind of shows what he's doing there, like I said earlier, is very professional and is helping guys move onto the next level."
Do you keep in touch with former teammates and what advice would you give to them?
"I talk to quite a few of them, actually - mostly the guys in the class below me. They mostly ask me how it is. I remember when I was a senior, I was asking guys who were already in the league too about it. I just tell them to keep working. I think the biggest thing is team success. If all the guys do well, the team does really well, then they'll have a lot of eyes on them. They all know this - it's one thing Coach preaches - is that if the team does well, you as an individual have a better opportunity. So I just tell them to keep working hard and focus on their game and it will happen."
What is your greatest memory of your professional career?
"I would probably say my first MLS game, when we played in Columbus. There was an injury and I got subbed in during the 20th minute, and I played 70 minutes in that game and I played pretty well. We tied 1-1 on the road and it was a big moment for me because it was my first actual MLS game. It was kind of a dream come true, realizing you're actually playing in the MLS."
What advice would you give to a Wake student?
"As a soccer player, it's to manage your time. That's something I learned the hard way. [Laughs] You have to take time out of your day to study as well, which took me a little bit to learn. You have to finish your books first. I've graduated and that's a big thing. I know a lot of guys in the league that haven't finished their degrees. You think you'll take classes during the day when you're not practicing, but you don't really have the time. As a soccer player, I think it's important to finish your degree. If you're not playing soccer, I would say have a good work ethic. You have to grind some days out, but it's worth it when you get to the end."
Head Coach Jay Vidovich on Anthony Arena:
"Anthony is a guy who came in as a freshman and stepped in and went to a Final Four. He always had a sound basis. I think towards the end the best thing that happened to him, that just shows his character, was that he didn't start off playing his senior year. He's a top player and he fought his way onto the field and he fought to stay on the field. I think it's the same thing that's happened to him. He didn't get drafted in the SuperDraft, but he found his way onto the field. Now he's under contract, he's getting in games, he's dressing and he's finding that he has it in him to be special. I'm very proud of how he's developed, to see his evolution, his journey and I'm very interested to see how it goes forward from here."
