School: North Penn
Soccer
Favorite athlete: Ryan Howard
Favorite team: Philadelphia Phillies
Favorite memory competing in sports: Getting to know so many different people through various sports I have played.
Most embarrassing/funniest thing that has happened while competing in sports: Watching North Penn forward Chris Davidson this past season humiliate himself in various ways with his daily antics at practice and games.
Music on iPod: Just about anything
Future plans: To attend Temple, Villanova, University of Maryland or University of Delaware, major in either business or communications, and stay active athletically with club or intramural sports.
Words to live by: “Continuous effort, not strength or intelligence, is the key to unlocking our potential.” –Liane Cordes
One goal before turning 30: To start a successful career in which I can provide for myself and raise a family well.
One thing people don’t know about me: I absolutely love music and playing guitar.
Paul Duddy admits he was upstaged by one of his players when he was a recent guest on WNPV’s ‘On the Bench’ show. But the veteran North Penn soccer coach didn’t mind a bit that senior captain Michael McGuire stole the spotlight.
“He was just a natural talking into the mic,” Duddy said. “He’s well spoken, and he was way better than me.”
McGuire admits he has an interest in pursuing a career in broadcast journalism, and if he could land his dream job, it would be as an anchor on ESPN’s SportsCenter.
“I would be an anchor in a minute,” he said. “I love sports. My life revolves around it.”
But don’t be fooled by McGuire’s passion for sports. The North Penn senior is equally passionate about his academic pursuits.
“I am kind of nerdy when it comes to school,” he said. “I take my grades very, very seriously.
“When I was little, of course, I wanted to be a professional athlete, but there’s a difference between being realistic and unrealistic. I’m realistic. I aim for the stars, but I’m always keeping the ‘what ifs’ in the back of my mind, and I try and have a back-up plan.”
So if McGuire doesn’t land his dream job as an anchor on SportsCenter, no need to worry. It’s a safe bet this is one young man who will have plenty of options.
“He’s a great kid from a great family,” Duddy said. “It’s almost old-fashioned, but you tell him something, and it’s ‘Whatever you want coach, that’s what I’ll do and that’s what I’ll make sure we do.’
“He’s kind of a throwback to a certain degree.”
McGuire was a key member of a Knight squad that finished just two points behind a Central Bucks East squad that will play for the state title and one point behind second place Pennridge in the battle for the Continental Conference title.
“We were in first place and then went on a three-game skid when we lost three straight league games,” he said. “That stinks because when we look back on it now, we could have been champions of our league if we had just won one of those games, but that’s what happens.”
Several games into the season, Duddy elected to move McGuire from his position as outside midfielder to central midfield. It paid immediate dividends.
“He was playing well, and I felt we needed to get him more involved in the mix,” the Knights’ coach said. “We put him in the middle of the field, and he just did very well.
“Besides being a great defensive player, he scored some real important goals, some game winners, for us throughout the year. He’s definitely a leader on the field.”
One of three captains of this year’s squad, McGuire took his role as team leader seriously.
“There were a lot of intangibles – hanging out with the underclassmen and making them feel like part of the team and not feeling left out,” he said. “A lot of kids were new to playing varsity, and we used our experience to try to take the jitters out of them and help them step up along the way because it’s a big step up from jayvee.”
McGuire led with both his words and his actions.
“His work rate is outstanding,” Duddy said. “As competitive as our league is – it almost has to be, and I think he answered the call.
“His willingness to get up and down the field and demand that his teammates did the same was real important for us this year. He’s vocal but in a positive way – just always encouraging and keeping everybody up.”
A two-year varsity player, McGuire has been playing soccer for as long as he can remember. He also played basketball and baseball until ninth grade when he opted to give up both to focus on soccer.
“It was just my favorite sport to play,” he said. “I just really enjoy playing it.”
McGuire plays soccer year round and is a member of the Montgomery Dynamite club squad. Although he competes in just one varsity sport, McGuire continues to have his hand in numerous sports.
“I golf, I play pick-up football with my friends, and I’ll be in a basketball league in a few weeks,” he said. “I’m pretty busy.”
Ask McGuire what he enjoyed most about his high school playing days, and he makes no mention of scoring a game-winning goal or any of his team’s big wins. Instead, he talks about the camaraderie of being part of the team.
“I absolutely loved it,” he said. “Not only does being on a team better you in the sport you play, but you build relationships with tons more people than you would expect because you’re with 40-50 guys for two and a half months straight.
“I really got close to the people on my team. I was in the hallway with my friends, and I saw a bunch of soccer guys and we were all high fiving. One of my friends was like, ‘Man, you soccer guys are like bros, you guys are all tight.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, we’re pretty much a family I guess you could say.’”
This season the Knights advanced to the second round of districts where they fell in overtime to Conestoga.
“This was hands down the best year,” McGuire said. “This year was everything I could ever want and even better than that.
“Even though we lost the Conestoga game, I will never forget playing that game. Apparently, they stink at football, so they’re all about soccer. Their student section for soccer was unbelievable. They had chants and the whole deal. It was awesome playing in that atmosphere. I felt like I was a professional – you had the night game under the lights, the whole deal.”
McGuire plans to continue his soccer career in college, playing at the club or intramural level.
“I definitely want to play, but I don’t want to make the commitment to the soccer team,” he said.
That commitment instead will go into his class work.
A member of the National Honor Society, McGuire – also a member of his church’s congregational council - takes a course load that includes three AP classes. He is considering either a communications or business major.
His potential college list includes Villanova, Delaware and Temple among others.
Talk to Duddy, and one thing is clear - McGuire will be missed next year as much for who he is as for what he did on the soccer field.
“He’s fun to be around – every day at practice and in game situations,” Duddy said. “He’s just a great kid.”
