Zips' Sarkodie a scholar on and off the field
Kevin Crater
Issue date: 11/5/09 Section: Sports
Walk by Schrank Field at The University of Akron any time between the searing summer days of August to the brisk breeze-filled days of November and you will find Kofi Sarkodie.
He is a son, brother, honors student and essentially, an African prince. You'll find him waging war in soccer practice with a gleam in his eye, as if it were his last match.
"You are not going to find a more athletic kid out there in the country," men's soccer head coach Caleb Porter said of the 5-feet-9 inch, 155-pound defender. "He's smart, he reads the game very well, and as an attacker he's composed, and he's clean and he's technical."
"He's a special kid as well. You look at the epitome of a student-athlete, and that's what he is," Porter said. "He's a 4.0 student, he's pre-med, and he's the type of kid that just has a charisma about him."
Sarkodie is a sophomore defender for the UA men's soccer team from Huber Heights, Ohio. At 18 he is as worldly as someone twice his age.
His parents, Amaning and Olivia Sarkodie are originally from Kumasi, Ghana where his grandmother was a queen.
"Culture has been a real, real big part of my life," he said. "I wear the Ghanaian wristband in the matches when I play."
He is not alone in his soccer sovereignty. His older brothers have succeeded on and off the soccer field. Ofori Sarkodie, 21, is a senior defender at Indiana University. Kwame Sarkodie, 24, was a starter in the midfield at The University of Cincinnati, and now plays for the Rochester Rhinos of the United Soccer Leagues First Division.
When the number-1 ranked Zips kicked the ball around with then number-8 ranked Indiana University on Sept. 18, Kofi and Ofori went head to head on many occasions.
"Being able to attack against him, and him coming the opposite way against me, it was awesome," Kofi said. "It's always great to go up against your brother; he taught me almost everything I know."
While the brothers Sarkodie had virtually identical statistics in the box score, Kofi and the Zips had the advantage on the scoreboard. UA shut-out Indiana 1 to 0 for their 5th win of their currently flawless 16 win and no loss regular season.
He is a son, brother, honors student and essentially, an African prince. You'll find him waging war in soccer practice with a gleam in his eye, as if it were his last match.
"You are not going to find a more athletic kid out there in the country," men's soccer head coach Caleb Porter said of the 5-feet-9 inch, 155-pound defender. "He's smart, he reads the game very well, and as an attacker he's composed, and he's clean and he's technical."
"He's a special kid as well. You look at the epitome of a student-athlete, and that's what he is," Porter said. "He's a 4.0 student, he's pre-med, and he's the type of kid that just has a charisma about him."
Sarkodie is a sophomore defender for the UA men's soccer team from Huber Heights, Ohio. At 18 he is as worldly as someone twice his age.
His parents, Amaning and Olivia Sarkodie are originally from Kumasi, Ghana where his grandmother was a queen.
"Culture has been a real, real big part of my life," he said. "I wear the Ghanaian wristband in the matches when I play."
He is not alone in his soccer sovereignty. His older brothers have succeeded on and off the soccer field. Ofori Sarkodie, 21, is a senior defender at Indiana University. Kwame Sarkodie, 24, was a starter in the midfield at The University of Cincinnati, and now plays for the Rochester Rhinos of the United Soccer Leagues First Division.
When the number-1 ranked Zips kicked the ball around with then number-8 ranked Indiana University on Sept. 18, Kofi and Ofori went head to head on many occasions.
"Being able to attack against him, and him coming the opposite way against me, it was awesome," Kofi said. "It's always great to go up against your brother; he taught me almost everything I know."
While the brothers Sarkodie had virtually identical statistics in the box score, Kofi and the Zips had the advantage on the scoreboard. UA shut-out Indiana 1 to 0 for their 5th win of their currently flawless 16 win and no loss regular season.
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