Former W&M goalkeeper Kieran Baskett recently signed a professional contract with Halifax Wanderers FC in the Canadian Premier League. Below is a message from Baskett about his time at William & Mary.
----
I would like to begin by thanking William & Mary for a fantastic experience, although it was sadly cut short after less than a year there.
I always planned to complete a four-year degree as a student-athlete, but things changed when I returned home at the start of the pandemic. The opportunity arose to sign with the Halifax Wanderers, and it left me with a difficult decision to make to leave behind a world class education, and a great group of friends. My family and I went over the pros and cons of leaving William & Mary for weeks. We ultimately made the decision for me to stay home because at the time Canada was far safer in terms of COVID and politics, and the soccer was more guaranteed in 2021 than the NCAA was. It was also a unique opportunity to play professionally in my hometown, and after three years away from home, I ultimately could not pass up this chance.
Signing for the Halifax Wanderers was made possible in large part thanks to the Tribe. It has always been a dream of mine to play soccer at the professional level, but I feel as though I would not have achieved this dream without the assistance of the Tribe men's soccer program.
The men's soccer team is a true family environment, and they made me feel at home from the moment I set foot on campus.
Coaches: Norris, Bourdage, Kamara, and Duffy are all heavily invested in the well-being of all their players on and off the field. They also have a knack of recruiting players who form excellent team chemistry, and who play for each other. I want to thank the coaches for recruiting me and putting trust in me to play in my freshman year. I feel the amount of respect that the whole team is given by the coaches is greater than any other athletic program I know of in the country.
I have no regrets about my time in the US and would do it all over again if I got to relive my life. It was a unique opportunity to get a top-notch education while preparing for life as a professional athlete. Williamsburg is a beautiful town that I fell in love with, and I will miss it greatly. I will definitely make an effort to return some day. I wish the Tribe Athletics program, and the William & Mary community all the best going forward.
Sincerely,
Kieran Baskett
