The Remarkable Student-Athletes of Morehouse & Colgate: Cason Stafford
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 tenth 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.
Cason Stafford
In the field of education, “tracking” is a term that refers to the practice of separating students by academic ability. In public and private schools across America, students are placed in on-grade-level, honors, or gifted-and-talented classes (the names of the levels may vary by district) starting as early as 1st grade. And, while a teacher recommendation can result in a student being moved up or down a level, most children remain in the track they start on for the entirety of their primary and secondary school careers. As such, students who demonstrate a high level of academic prowess at an early age receive a more rigorous education than their less academically-inclined peers. For the students deemed “gifted” in their preteen years, this system is quite effective. Indeed, studies show that students placed in higher level classes have superior educational outcomes than those placed in lower classes. All’s well that ends well…right? Well, not quite. In spite of the exceptional achievement students placed in high-level classes experience as a result of the system of tracking, the practice has received a great deal of pushback in recent years due to the pernicious effect it has on those relegated to lower-level classes.
While it was originally intended to streamline education in the wake of a massive immigration boom at the turn of the 20th century to best meet the needs of English-Language-Learners with low rates of literacy; tracking quickly became a tool to sort students into groups that were designed to groom them for a predetermined future. Indeed, some children were preparing for college, while others were training to work blue-collar jobs.
By the 1970s and 1980s this extreme form of tracking was abandoned, as teachers grew concerned about the level of educational attainment of the median American child. And so, broader standards were adopted and applied to all schools across the country to improve children’s prowess in reading, arithmetic, writing, and science. As a result of the adoption of these standards, tracking in American schools today looks drastically different from what it was in the early 1900s. But, while the methodology has evolved, the outcome is the same — students placed in remedial classes have significantly lower levels of educational achievement than those placed in higher level classes. Our system is doing these students a massive disservice, as research shows that students placed on lower tracks would perform significantly better on standardized tests had they been placed in mixed-ability groups.
When tracking is practiced outside of the field of education, it is done to similar effect. This is, perhaps, most apparent in the American youth soccer system. While the names of the levels in the pyramid are always changing, they function in the exact same way. The most talented players in America are tracked into the different levels of youth soccer from a very young age, with the best players consistently playing for MLS Next programs at the top of the pyramid. Some of these academies are affiliated with professional clubs in America’s top 2 pro leagues (MLS and USL), and others are exclusively youth programs. While it is possible for a player to join an MLS Next team late into their teenage years, it is uncommon. This is unfortunate because MLS Next academies receive far more exposure to college scouts and coaches than programs at the lower rungs of the youth soccer pyramid — and understandably so! After all, the best players play in the best league. These are the players who exhibited talent as toddlers, and, as a result of that, received the best coaching at every stage of their development — resulting in them being well-rounded, exceptional players.
But what of the athletes that didn’t have the opportunity to try out for an MLS Next team due to location or lack of money — what becomes of them? Well, just like the student tracked into the lowest level classes in school, the athlete who plays at a lower level in youth soccer has a tough road to reach the heights of their more fortunate peers. Thankfully, “tough” is not impossible. Indeed, there are remarkable student athletes capable of beating the odds and breaking the glass ceiling of their circumstances. Through hard-work, consistency, dedication, and sheer force of will, these individuals reach the highest levels of the sport in spite of the obstacles placed in their path by a deeply flawed development system. One such individual is Colgate University midfielder, Cason Cole Stafford.
Cason is the 2nd of 5 children born to Alex and Desi Stafford, and raised in Cincinnatus — a small, rural town in upstate New York. Life in Cincinnatus is simple — most people work in farming or construction, and there is one high school that all of the children of Cincinnatus attend. The Stafford family is a tight-knit bunch, and Cason regards his older brother, Caden, as his best friend.
Desi, the matriarch of the Stafford family, makes jewelry for a living; while Alex, Cason’s father, works as a foreman for a local tree company. Desi is an altruistic and caring woman with an outgoing personality — she loves all of her children dearly and supports them in all of their endeavors. Alex values work ethic above all else, and has instilled in his children the belief that hard work and perseverance are necessary for them to reach their potential. Family is extremely important to both of the Stafford parents; and the bonds between Alex, Desi, and their children are very intimate. These bonds are forged through family trips; fun, outdoors activities like cornhole; and, most importantly, through sports.
All of the Stafford children participate in competitive sports, and Alex has played the role of “first coach” for each of them. Indeed, it was Alex who introduced Cason and Caden to soccer, and trained them through their preteen years. While Cincinnatus is a very small city with a population of just under 1,000, the citizens of Cincinnatus love their soccer, and Cincinnatus High is something of a powerhouse in upstate New York. Alex played soccer for Cincinnatus in his youth, and so it made sense for him to teach the sport to his two oldest sons.
From the beginning, Caden was essential to Cason’s development as a player. They practiced together often, driving one another to hone their games and improve their skills. They played on the same youth team, Syracuse Development Academy, meaning that Cason had to compete with and against players who were older and more physically developed than he. While both boys were exceptional athletes in their youth, their paths diverged when Caden was accepted into the Philadelphia Union Academy, an MLS Next club, after his freshman year in high school. This gave him access to some of the best facilities, coaching, and competition in all of America. Ultimately, Caden took advantage of the opportunity provided to him by the Union and earned himself a scholarship to play for the University of Maryland’s soccer team, a Division I program competing in the Atlantic Coast Conference. As fate would have it, Cason’s path to the heights of the game would be much different.
When Caden moved to the Philadelphia Union Academy, he left behind his boyhood club in Syracuse and gave up the ability to play for Cincinnatus High. In his lone season at Cincinnatus, he recorded 76 total goal contributions with 42 goals scored and 34 assists. He was, in every sense of the phrase, a big fish in a small pond — hence, his leaving to play for Philadelphia.
By Cason’s senior year at Cincinnatus, his numbers were comparable to those of his older brother — he scored 44 goals alongside 41 assists during the 2021–2022 season. At the Syracuse Development Academy, Cason dominated as well, tallying 32 total goal contributions in 25 games during his final year with the club.
It is tough to put into words how difficult it is to find a player who reaches Cason’s level of sustained success over the course of their entire youth career. This is primarily because players with Cason’s talent typically move to a bigger club, just like Caden did, once it becomes clear that they’ve outgrown their current situation. The reason why is simple — while it may be fun to obliterate the competition at lower levels of the game, competing at a low level can severely stunt a player’s development. An exceptional athlete who exclusively plays with and against inferior players can, for example, fall into bad habits because they compete against opponents who are too poor to exploit their flaws. They can also develop an inflated sense of self — believing they are much better than they actually are — because their skills are too advanced for their peers. This hubris can negatively affect the player’s work ethic and stymie their growth.
That Cason was able to avoid all of these pitfalls and maintain a humble spirit while working incredibly hard throughout the entirety of his youth career is a testament to the values instilled in him by his parents, and his ability to apply them consistently to his approach to soccer. Indeed, as the talent gap between Cason and his peers grew year on year over the course of his youth career — Cason exhibited more drive, dedication, and diligence. He relentlessly practiced for hours, putting himself through the arduous drills he was taught by his father, while balancing his considerable workload as a high level athlete with his responsibilities as a student. Through it all, he never forgot the values that brought him success. In fact, he was appreciative and humbled by the opportunities he had been afforded throughout his life that put him in the position to be successful — the chance to play with great teammates, the fortune to be raised by a phenomenal set of parents, and the serendipity to practice with an elite player (Caden) through the most critical years of his development.
After a historic youth career that saw him accumulate countless individual and team accolades, Cason graduated from Cincinnatus High as valedictorian of his class with The Seal of Biliteracy in English and French. Diploma in one hand, and an athletic scholarship to Colgate University in the other, Cason was ready to begin his freshman season with the Raiders soccer team. And what a season it was.
When Cason arrived at Colgate and began practicing with his new teammates, he had some doubts about his skillset translating to the Division I level of competition. But those concerns were quickly allayed by the immediate success he had on the pitch. As it turned out, Cason’s all-around game, founded on an outstanding Soccer-IQ, incredible defensive work-rate, and prodigious ball-retention ability were a perfect fit for Coach Ronning’s system. Cason quickly became a key contributor on a Raiders team that had a great bounce-back season, improving from their winless year in 2021 to an impressive record of 7–4–7 with several wins over programs ranked in the top 25 in the country. Over the course of the 2022 season, Cason played in every one of Colgate’s fixtures and started 13 times. He also recorded 4 assists on the season — more than any other player on the Colgate team.
As Cason prepares for his Sophomore year at Colgate, he plans to build on his game by working on shooting from distance — a skill he seldom required in high school, given his tendency to dribble past multiple defenders to effectively walk the ball into the back of the net. After graduating from Colgate, Cason’s primary goal is to pursue a career as a professional soccer player. And, if that doesn’t work out, he’d like to work as a sports psychologist — a profession that would afford him the ability to be around the game that has brought him so much joy throughout his life. Wherever his journey ultimately takes him, I’m sure Cason will continue to find success. After all, his many achievements on and off the soccer pitch are proof of what is possible with diligence, hard work, and a humble spirit. I had an awesome time speaking with Cason and putting this piece together. He’s a phenomenal athlete and a kind young man who represents the best of Colgate University.
Follow Archer’s Raiders on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
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 sixth profile and interview of this series featuring Colgate University soccer player Alejandro Coury, 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 eleventh profile and interview of this series featuring Colgate University soccer player Rory Brookhart, click here.
