Chris Harms
EVERYDAY CHAMPION: CHRIS HARMS Heads up, Bobby D! Chris Harms is aiming for your job. The sophomore defender on the Oregon State men’s soccer team wants to continue his soccer career after graduation, but he also has a goal to work in an athletic department and ultimately become an athletic director. He has the ambition, work ethic and focus to reach all of his goals and it’s those reasons, and so many more, why Chris is this week’s everyday champion. The native of Portland, Ore., was an All-Pac-10 honorable mention and Pac-10 All-Academic honorable mention selection his redshirt freshman year when he played every minute in the 17 games he played. He missed the first seven games of this season but is back on the field and working hard to help the Beavers reach the NCAA Tournament. We had a chance to sit down with Chris to get his thoughts about Corvallis, Oregon State University and the men’s soccer program.
from there and other places you could have gone? “A lot of people mentioned the community as the biggest factor and it’s cliché to say it all the time, but Corvallis really is one big, happy family. The support from restaurants, community members, other teams, other coaches is better than other places.”
What brought you to Oregon State University? “A large part of it was the community in Corvallis and around Oregon State. Obviously, the soccer program is one of the best and I wanted to be part of something special.”
What does everyday champions mean to you and how will you take what you’ve learned into life after graduation? “The program is an honor to be a part of because it has a rich tradition of accomplished athletes and people who have gone on to do a lot more than just be an athlete at Oregon State. All I’m really hoping to do is be a part of that tradition.”
Have you been part of something special or are you building it? “I think you could say we are building it from where we were in 2002 when we made the NCAA Tournament two years in a row. We are trying to get back to that point.”
How are you involved on campus or in the community outside of athletics? “I’ve been involved in the student athletic advisory committee the past two years and also acted as project manager of the Finance Club the past two years. I try to stay involved with as many as I can on campus when I have time.” When you aren’t going to class or playing soccer, what do you like to do in your free time? “When we have free time, I like to play FIFA on Playstation 3 or Call of Duty. I like to watch a lot of movies and watch a lot of TV shows, my favorite being Eastbound & Down, the Kenny Powers show, with Danny McBride starring. I like to hang out with friends quite a bit and try to meet new people as much as I can.”
What are your personal goals and team goals for this year? “At the start of the season, I missed the first seven games because of an injury so my personal goal is just to get back on the field and be able to contribute to the team. Now that I’m here, I’m trying to help this team get to the NCAA Tournament. That’s been our goal since the start of the year. I think we are on track.” How does the support of “Beaver Nation” help you reach those goals? “As I mentioned earlier, Beaver Nation is really just one, big family. The support you get day in and day out is bar none, the best. To say it has helped me is an understatement.” What would you like to say to the “Beaver Nation? “Beaver Nation, thank you for all of your support. I’ll see you at my game on Friday.” What is it like playing for Coach Simmons? “Coach Simmons is very demanding and a hard-working coach. It rubs off on the players. He cares about all of the players in a way that makes us work that much harder for the team and the team goal. He preaches the team-first mentality.”
What do you want to do after graduation? What do you bring the team as a leader? “I’m a vocal leader. When you’re wrong, I’ll probably tell you you’re wrong. But I demand the same thing out of myself. I know when I make a mistake, I’m the first guy to raise my hand and say `my bad’. But I think leadership just starts with hard work. I try to be the first guy in and the last guy to leave and I think in a way that leads my teammates by example to help them work harder than they normally would.”
Being from Portland, what did you know about Oregon State and what were your expectations of the university and the soccer program? “Every single person in my family went to the University of Oregon so I was a big traitor. But, as we know, Oregon doesn’t have a soccer team so I wanted to be in state and I wanted to see my family a lot and have them be able to see me play. So Oregon State was the best choice for me.” You knew a lot about the University of Oregon since everyone in your family went there, but what sets Oregon State apart
“After graduation, I hope to be playing soccer still. That’s always been the main goal and that’s another reason why I came here. I also want to work in an athletic department and be around the student-athletes probably for the rest of my life. Hopefully, someday I can be an athletic director.”
Chris Harms is a Portland native and one of his first family members to go to Oregon State
Should Oregon State athletic director Bob De Carolis be nervous that you’ll take his job one day? “Bobby D hopefully isn’t nervous at all that I’m going to be trying to take his job one day, because I hope to be working for him for a little bit. Don’t tell him I said that, though.”
from there and other places you could have gone? “A lot of people mentioned the community as the biggest factor and it’s cliché to say it all the time, but Corvallis really is one big, happy family. The support from restaurants, community members, other teams, other coaches is better than other places.”
What brought you to Oregon State University? “A large part of it was the community in Corvallis and around Oregon State. Obviously, the soccer program is one of the best and I wanted to be part of something special.”
What does everyday champions mean to you and how will you take what you’ve learned into life after graduation? “The program is an honor to be a part of because it has a rich tradition of accomplished athletes and people who have gone on to do a lot more than just be an athlete at Oregon State. All I’m really hoping to do is be a part of that tradition.”
Have you been part of something special or are you building it? “I think you could say we are building it from where we were in 2002 when we made the NCAA Tournament two years in a row. We are trying to get back to that point.”
How are you involved on campus or in the community outside of athletics? “I’ve been involved in the student athletic advisory committee the past two years and also acted as project manager of the Finance Club the past two years. I try to stay involved with as many as I can on campus when I have time.” When you aren’t going to class or playing soccer, what do you like to do in your free time? “When we have free time, I like to play FIFA on Playstation 3 or Call of Duty. I like to watch a lot of movies and watch a lot of TV shows, my favorite being Eastbound & Down, the Kenny Powers show, with Danny McBride starring. I like to hang out with friends quite a bit and try to meet new people as much as I can.”
What are your personal goals and team goals for this year? “At the start of the season, I missed the first seven games because of an injury so my personal goal is just to get back on the field and be able to contribute to the team. Now that I’m here, I’m trying to help this team get to the NCAA Tournament. That’s been our goal since the start of the year. I think we are on track.” How does the support of “Beaver Nation” help you reach those goals? “As I mentioned earlier, Beaver Nation is really just one, big family. The support you get day in and day out is bar none, the best. To say it has helped me is an understatement.” What would you like to say to the “Beaver Nation? “Beaver Nation, thank you for all of your support. I’ll see you at my game on Friday.” What is it like playing for Coach Simmons? “Coach Simmons is very demanding and a hard-working coach. It rubs off on the players. He cares about all of the players in a way that makes us work that much harder for the team and the team goal. He preaches the team-first mentality.”
What do you want to do after graduation? What do you bring the team as a leader? “I’m a vocal leader. When you’re wrong, I’ll probably tell you you’re wrong. But I demand the same thing out of myself. I know when I make a mistake, I’m the first guy to raise my hand and say `my bad’. But I think leadership just starts with hard work. I try to be the first guy in and the last guy to leave and I think in a way that leads my teammates by example to help them work harder than they normally would.”
Being from Portland, what did you know about Oregon State and what were your expectations of the university and the soccer program? “Every single person in my family went to the University of Oregon so I was a big traitor. But, as we know, Oregon doesn’t have a soccer team so I wanted to be in state and I wanted to see my family a lot and have them be able to see me play. So Oregon State was the best choice for me.” You knew a lot about the University of Oregon since everyone in your family went there, but what sets Oregon State apart
“After graduation, I hope to be playing soccer still. That’s always been the main goal and that’s another reason why I came here. I also want to work in an athletic department and be around the student-athletes probably for the rest of my life. Hopefully, someday I can be an athletic director.”
Chris Harms is a Portland native and one of his first family members to go to Oregon State
Should Oregon State athletic director Bob De Carolis be nervous that you’ll take his job one day? “Bobby D hopefully isn’t nervous at all that I’m going to be trying to take his job one day, because I hope to be working for him for a little bit. Don’t tell him I said that, though.”
