The Remarkable Student-Athletes of Morehouse & Colgate: Alejandro Coury
Introduction
Archer’s Raiders is an organization that seeks to unify politically progressive fans, students, and alumni of Colgate University & Morehouse College through the passionate support of our sports programs. The namesake of this organization is Samuel “Big Boy” Archer Sr., one of the first Black football players to play for Colgate University and Morehouse College’s 5th President.
What follows this introduction is the sixth of many interviews I plan to host that are designed to showcase the nuance and intellect of current and former Colgate and Morehouse student-athletes. People often have the misconception that athletes are one dimensional; lacking the range to speak on different important issues facing the country today. But the fact is that pro and college level athletes are often intimately connected to their communities and the challenges facing them. These athletes have a unique platform to speak on these challenges and raise awareness about a host of important political issues.
Through these interviews and profiles, you will find that Colgate and Morehouse student athletes all have remarkable stories — and that each of them represents the values that our schools stand for in their own unique ways. Hopefully, the Colgate and Morehouse communities enjoy reading the profiles and watching the interviews as much as I enjoy putting them together.
Alejandro Coury
The road to become a Division I level athlete in America has always been an arduous one. The student must have the mental discipline and consistency to dedicate years to honing their craft on the playing field, often at the expense of the frivolities of adolescence that other children enjoy; the parents must have the resolve to wholly commit themselves to supporting their child — taking hours out of their busy schedules on a day-to-day basis to drive them to private workouts, team practices, and games — and the family must be willing to sacrifice, money and time spent together most significantly, to provide the child with the best possible opportunities to pursue their athletic career at every turn. It goes without saying that these commitments, both monetary and social, can take a heavy toll on the family. Indeed, the streets are littered with former prospective Division I athletes whose families made all of the aforementioned investments, only to fall short of their lofty goal.
While the likelihood of a youth athlete playing their sport in Division I is small — only 2% of student-athletes participating in high school athletics go on to compete at the Division I level — there are some factors that inarguably increase their chances of making it; factors like location. Hockey, for example, is best played in the Northeast and Midwest. The South is home to many of the best high school football players in America. And California consistently produces great soccer players.
After weeding out the students from states that most commonly send athletes to DI colleges in a given sport, the already slim chances of playing at the highest level decrease even more. Resources and competition are limited, and they tend to pool in specific places — it only makes sense that the people living in those places tend to be better at their respective sports than those without access to the same benefits. So, when it turns out that one of the 8 underclassmen to achieve All-Patriot League honors in soccer heils from one of the least populated states in America, it is natural to question how this anomaly came to be. The answer, in fact, is quite simple — when a supportive community and a loving family work in concert to raise a gifted young man of remarkable character, anything is possible.
The young man in question is Colgate University’s Alejandro Coury, and he was born and raised in Yarmouth, Maine. As one might expect, Maine is not exactly known for its soccer, and Yarmouth is not exactly known at all. Indeed, Yarmouth is a quaint, unassuming town, boasting a population of just under 24,000. It is located in Cumberland County, 15 minutes outside of Portland. It can be said that the city of Yarmouth is for its residents what Cheers was for its customers — a place with a warm atmosphere where everybody knows everybody. The people are friendly, the community is strong, and the politics are liberal.
Largely suburban, Yarmouth is a city of classic, American families — hard-working, loving couples that parent hard-working, loving children. Indeed, the family that Alejandro was born into is typical of Yarmouth. His parents are dedicated professionals who have always supported him in all of his endeavors — his father, Timothy Coury, is an Emergency Room doctor; while his mother, Karla, a 2nd generation immigrant of Bolivian heritage, is a Real Estate agent.
Karla is a social butterfly with a huge personality and the gift of being able to make friends in almost any situation. Timothy is a big character in his own right, and is a man of immense intellect. Alejandro fondly recalls engaging in robust discussion about a wide range of pressing social and political issues with his parents around the dinner table. Together, they provided him with the tools to be an exceptional student, and a young man of great integrity with a social conscience.
Alejandro is the middle of 3 boys, and he is close with both of his brothers. Max, the oldest, is a senior at Colorado College; and Matteo, the youngest, is currently a sophomore in high school.
Within Maine, the city of Yarmouth is recognized for its soccer, and understandably so — Yarmouth High School is a perennial soccer powerhouse, winning 7 of the last 8 state championships. Given its small size, the young children of Yarmouth look up to the Yarmouth soccer players, and aspire to one day join the Yarmouth High School soccer program to contribute to future titles. Alejandro was once among those bright-eyed Yarmouth toddlers hoping to follow in the footsteps of the Yarmouth High School greats before him. So, as typical of a boy in Yarmouth, he began playing soccer during his elementary school years. What was, however, atypical about him was the remarkable level of his game compared to his peers.
Alejandro joined Global Premier Soccer Club in Portland, Maine at the age of 7. For the next 5 years he and his teammates developed into one of the strongest classes of soccer players in Maine youth soccer history — a golden generation. Under the watchful eye of coach Ali Bain, Alejandro was given the foundation on which his phenomenal game would be built.
Coach Bain was unique amongst soccer coaches in America at the time — his primary concern was not winning games, which he did a lot of, but developing the skills of his players in ways that would pay off later in their careers. Indeed, Alejandro attributes much of his soccer philosophy today to the teachings of Coach Bain — and it’s clear why. Alejandro’s strengths as a player are his creativity, awareness, and poise on the ball and under pressure. Watching him play is akin to watching someone pour syrup — smooth and sweet. He has a brilliant first touch, deftly uses subtle body feints to fool opponents and create space for himself on the ball, and the ability to fit incisive progressive passes into the tightest windows. Ali Bain’s philosophy helped foster all of these traits — as his teachings were founded on the idea that his players, even at the undeveloped ages of 7 and 8, should avoid kicking long and instead hone the skills and confidence to play short, quick passes in every phase of play — even when under pressure close to their own goal.
Under the tutelage of Coach Bain, Alejandro improved rapidly. And, if ever he considered resting on his laurels, he was spurred to greater heights by his parents. He still remembers long rides home after tough games or poor performances where his father would provide him with constructive criticism — direct feedback designed to inspire his son to higher levels of performance. In those days, the tough love was often difficult for young Alejandro to deal with, but, in time, he came to appreciate the guidance his father gave him.
Ultimately, all of it paid off — the time, the effort, the training, the dedication — and by the age of 13, Alejandro had become an exceptional soccer player. He was so good, in fact, that his game had outgrown the state of Maine.
While Yarmouth soccer is, perhaps, the best in Maine, it is by no means recognized at the national level. This is evident in the fact that Maine does not have a club that competes at the highest level of youth competition: MLS Next. So, in search of the tougher competition Alejandro needed in order to continue to grow his game, the Coury family looked outside of Maine. Ultimately, they settled on Boston.
In the summer following 7th grade, Alejandro visited the New England Revolution Academy’s facilities for the first time for a training camp. The sessions with the Revolution coaches went well, and it was made clear to him that he was good enough to play for them. The Coury family was pleased with this news, and began making preparations for Alejandro to join the club before his Freshman year in high school.
The commute from Yarmouth to Boston is roughly 2 hours — a distance far too great to travel back and forth 3 to 4 times a week. So, arrangements were made for Alejandro to move away from his parents to live with his grandfather and grandmother, Arthur and Mary-Judith (Judy), in Boston. He has always had good relationships with both of them, and visited them often before and after living with them while he played for the Revolution.
Arthur and Judy welcomed Alejandro into their home with open arms and treated him with the love and care one would expect from a proper set of grandparents. In spite of this, the transition from Yarmouth to Boston was quite challenging for young Alejandro. The city of Boston is much bigger than Yarmouth, and navigating it took some getting used to. In the city, he had to learn the public transportation system and culture; at his new club, he had to learn his teammates and coaches. And, on top of all of that, he had to balance his soccer with his coursework for school — coursework that was now exclusively online.
Having to make all of these transitions in short order culminated in a difficult fall season with the Revolution. The speed of the game was faster than what he had experienced in Maine, and he found it difficult to fully express his talent on the pitch. This led to a loss of confidence and a dip in form. And, for the first time in his career, Alejandro began doubting his ability in comparison to that of his teammates.
At the end of the fall season, Alejandro returned to Yarmouth for winter break. It was refreshing to be able to spend some quality time with his parents and siblings, away from the pressures of school and Revolution soccer. While home, he had the opportunity to practice with Max’s Global Premier Soccer team — a group that was 2 years older than Alejandro. During that short break, Alejandro found his game and his confidence — he was reminded of his immense talent, and gained the belief that he could hang with the best players at any level of competition in America.
Upon returning to Boston for the Spring Semester, Alejandro was a new person. Gone were the doubts and anxiety that weighed him down in the Fall — he had a new mentality and a controlled mindset. He would play the game at his pace and with his style.
That Spring, Alejandro burst onto the national soccer scene for the first time. Indeed, his form and quality of play earned him a summer invitation to the United States Futures National Team Camp in Los Angeles at the LA Galaxy Academy training facilities. There he would play with and against the most highly regarded players in the country while being coached by some of the best minds in youth soccer.
Ultimately, tragedy cut Alejandro’s time at Revolution Academy short — he returned to Yarmouth after a year and a half when his grandmother was diagnosed with cancer. While the circumstances of his return to Yarmouth were deeply concerning, everything ended up working out for the best — Judy’s cancer is now in remission, and Alejandro was able to join the Yarmouth High School soccer team he dreamt of being on as a young child. At Yarmouth, Alejandro was the star of the show — he led the team to a 2019 Maine State Championship and earned MVP and Offensive Player of the Year honors.
After graduating from Yarmouth High School, Alejandro briefly attended a boarding school called Worcester Academy in Massachusetts, but ended up returning home due to COVID. And, it was during COVID that he was offered a scholarship to play soccer for Colgate.
In the end, Alejandro’s long journey — from Yarmouth, to Boston, and back to Yarmouth — was all worth it. Indeed, the Colgate scholarship was the culmination of countless hours on the practice pitch, long drives to and from games across state lines, and a relentless work ethic to make the most out of every opportunity afforded to him. The young man from Maine had defied the odds to become a Division I student-athlete.
Once he arrived at Colgate, it did not take Alejandro long to make his mark on the soccer team. As a true freshman, Alejandro played in 16 of 18 games and started twice. His experience being away from home as a teenager at Revolution Academy, and the adversity he overcame to become a key contributor at the club, taught him how to quickly adapt to new settings, and adjust his game to different coaching styles and new teammates. Unfortunately, the value he brought to the Colgate team did not initially translate to wins, as the Raiders lost every game they played in the 2021 season.
At season’s end, all of the players who planned on returning for 2022 reflected on how they could contribute more to the team in the following season. Some players admirably stepped into leadership roles and contributed to a profound cultural shift in the locker room — Alejandro took his game on the pitch to yet another level.
During the Spring friendlies, the Raiders began to see the fruits that their labor would ultimately bear in 2022. They won some games, built their confidence, and grew closer as a team. When 2022 came around, Alejandro was prepared to have a breakout season — and “break-out” he did. By season’s end, Colgate boasted 2 All-Patriot League players: one was junior Forward Aidan Davock, the other was Alejandro Coury. His offensive contributions as a progressive passer, progressive dribbler, and playmaker were paramount to a huge bounce-back season for the Raiders that ended with them earning a berth in the Patriot League playoffs. And, although their season ended in defeat to American University, the building blocks have been laid for an even better 2023 season.
Off the pitch, Alejandro is very serious about his studies — as one would expect of a Colgate student-athlete. He recently decided to major in Economics, as the field fits well with his natural aptitude for mathematics. With 2 and a half years left in his college career, he remains undecided about what he wants to do professionally — but all options are on the table, including professional soccer; and, for a young man of Alejandro’s intellect, diligence, and discipline, why shouldn’t they be? The record shows that he can achieve whatever he puts his mind to — I certainly wouldn’t bet against him.
I had a great time speaking with Alejandro — getting to know him and hearing him tell his unique story. He’s an altruistic and thoughtful young man with a humble spirit — those are qualities difficult to come by, especially in someone who is only 20 years old. It was an honor to be able to put this together with him, and I hope you enjoy listening to our conversation as much as I enjoyed engaging in it.
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For the first profile and interview of this series featuring Morehouse College basketball legend James Walker, click here.
For the second profile and interview of this series featuring Colgate University basketball player Jeff Woodward, click here.
For the third profile and interview of this series featuring Colgate University basketball player Oliver Lynch-Daniels, click here.
For the fourth profile and interview of this series featuring Colgate University soccer player Max Edelstein, click here.
For the fifth profile and interview of this series featuring Colgate University soccer player Bobby Foose, click here.
For the seventh profile and interview of this series featuring Colgate University soccer player Mason Pahule, click here.
For the eighth profile and interview of this series featuring Colgate University rower Noha Shahba, click here.
For the ninth profile and interview of this series featuring Colgate University rugby player Tommy McHale, click here.
For the tenth profile and interview of this series featuring Colgate University soccer player Cason Stafford, click here.
For the eleventh profile and interview of this series featuring Colgate University soccer player Rory Brookhart, click here.
