ORLANDO, Fla. — A lot can change over the course of five years. Back in 2019, Colin Guske was playing U12 soccer in Jacksonville, Florida, where his family was living at the time, while his older brothers Owen and Liam were playing in Central Florida with Orlando City Academy.
The youngest of the Guske brothers eventually followed in his brothers' footsteps two years later in 2021, all while still living in Jacksonville. His parents would make the two-hour drive to get him to training every day, a sacrifice that paid off this past Wednesday, as the midfielder inked his first pro contract with Orlando City B in MLS NEXT Pro.
"It's a surreal moment, what every kid dreams of growing up playing soccer," Guske told OrlandoCitySC.com. "To finally put pen to paper is a dream come true, but it doesn't stop there. There's still lots of work to do to get to that next level."
Colin became the third of the Guske brothers to play for OCB, following his oldest brother Owen, who played in the 2020 season, and middle brother Liam, who played in 2022. Both of them also played as Academy players, appearing in a handful of games for the Young Lions.
Owen and Liam now play soccer collegiately, with Owen at Jacksonville University and Liam at Seton Hall. For Colin, their impact on his career has been immeasurable, helping him become the first of the three to sign a professional deal.
"It's awesome to represent the Guskes," Colin said. "Thanks to my brothers for always pushing me through early mornings and late nights, always putting in the work, doing video sessions, everything. My sister as well, for always being there for me and my parents, too. They're always helping me and what was the best for me."
So far this season, Guske has started almost every game for OCB. In his professional debut, he even scored a screamer from outside the box against Atlanta United 2, which eventually proved to be the game-winner.
Even before his first pro start, Guske got his feet wet in the pro environment by getting to travel with the MLS side to the team's preseason camp in Mexico. Spending a week in two-a-day trainings, getting to work on and perfect his craft heading into this season was an invaluable experience for the 17-year-old.
"The experience was great," he said. "All the players are very welcoming and are always telling me what to do, giving me learning tips, and I can't thank the club enough for giving me the opportunity to do that."
Being able to ask his position mates about the intricacies to their games, picking their brains about dealing with certain situations, how they adjust their body shape and where they're looking to play were all big takeaways from the week away from home.
Now, as the OCB season rolls on, Guske will look to continue to take those lessons learned and continue to grow his craft into hopefully earning a spot with the first team on a full-time basis.
"Working hard. I always believe if you put in the work, then the results will come," he said, "and I just have to continue to keep putting in the work and more results will hopefully keep coming."
