After recently graduating from the University of Kentucky, Robert Screen traveled 960 miles away from friends and family, eager to begin his new lifestyle and continue his soccer career in Madison, Wisconsin. Growing up in Raleigh, North Carolina, Screen discussed his journey that led him to Kentucky, where he had the opportunity to expand his soccer skill sets at the division one level.
“I was talking to a few different colleges before having a game in Florida,” Screen mentioned. “After that, my coach told me that Kentucky was interested in me. I reached out and had some conversations with the coaches which led to some visits. Kentucky had the best facilities and had a very good team. I liked the coaching staff a lot, so there really wasn’t a reason for me not to go there.”
After arriving in Lexington, Screen quickly had to adjust to the new division one athlete lifestyle. With practice, class, and a packed season with 16+ games crammed into three months, Screen adapted to his new way of living.
“In college you have practice, then you have school afterwards, and then homework on top of that. There were so many times when I stayed up until one o’clock in the morning just doing homework because I didn’t have time to do it during the day. Soccer took so long, and my school was especially strict, but that’s probably part of the reason why we were so good. We made a lot of sacrifices. It was definitely tougher than I imagined.”
Right before Covid hit, Screen injured the cartilage in his knee, forcing him into surgery with a four month recovery. While this was a minor setback, it occurred at just the right time where Screen was able to recover without missing a season because Covid shut down play for some time. While he didn’t miss much, Screen still had to put in extra work to earn a spot in the starting lineup for the upcoming season.
“I was back playing within about four months. By the time we were back for preseason, I had to go on the bike for a few weeks and then I was ready to go again.”
Once he adjusted to the rigorous lifestyle and recovered from his injury, Screen began to see the field as an underclassmen, earning a consistent starting spot in just his sophomore year. Overall, He really enjoyed his college experience at Kentucky, earning appearances in the NCAA tournament every year he attended.
“My freshman year I didn’t play a ton, but we were a really good team. I think we were ranked number three in the country at the time. My sophomore year we still had a lot of really good players but that was the year I was really able to start applying myself because of injuries and some guys being out so I knew I had to take my chance once I got it.”
His final season at Kentucky, Screen was unanimously named captain by his team, leading them to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament.
“It was definitely nice. I felt very respected. I was one of the first people to get unanimous votes,
so it was really rewarding knowing that I had earned the trust of the team. Even the younger guys coming in who didn’t really know me yet seemed to trust me. We had a great season which made it an even better experience.”
While his college playing career was coming to an end, Screen knew he wanted to continue soccer at an even higher level. With the University of Kentucky having such an advanced soccer program, he knew he could make it pro if he put in the work, he just wasn’t sure where he would end up. Once the opportunity at Forward Madison FC presented itself, Screen was very appreciative and excited for his next adventure.
“I definitely always wanted to pursue soccer after college. I didn’t really know where that would be but being in Kentucky definitely helped because it was such a big program. I knew I’d love Madison, so I am so happy that this is the home that I ended up finding.”
Since being welcomed here towards the end of winter, Screen has nothing but good things to say about his experience so far. While being very far from home has been an adjustment, the fans, team, and coaching staff have made Madison feel like home for Screen.
“I really think the best part about being here is honestly the fan base, it’s incredible. The guys are great as well. They’re so welcoming and they’ve made the transition from college to pro soccer feel much more seamless. I really look forward to developing as a pro player and hopefully winning the league with the guys.”
