On Wednesday, Hampden Academy junior Logan LaFrance boarded a plane to Munich, where he will then take a bus to Cologne and join FC Koln’s U-17 team as a goalkeeper.
FC Koln’s first team plays in the top flight of German football, also known as the Bundesliga, alongside world-famous clubs such as Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.
LaFrance was scouted by Koln earlier this year and received a final offer from its academy less than two weeks ago. He accredits this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to good fortune, commitment from his family, and lots of hard work.
“A lot of puzzle pieces fit just right for this to come together,” LaFrance said. “This is a major step toward going professional, and something I couldn’t pass up.”
It’s an incredible opportunity for the Hampden teen, as few athletes from the state rise to such a level in any sport. LaFrance had played semi-professionally in New Hampshire with MLS Next club Seacoast United his freshman year, played at elite prep schools in Connecticut and Florida his sophomore year, and finally joined his hometown team in Hampden as his swan song before shipping out to Germany.
Everywhere Logan went, he quickly moved up the ranks.
With Seacoast United, he started with its mid-level team in Portland before his coaches recommended he join the program’s United Premier Soccer League team in Hampton, New Hampshire. Suddenly playing the equivalent of single-A minor league baseball, a young LaFrance began to come into his own.
“I attribute a lot of the confidence I have in goal to that Seacoast team,” LaFrance said. “I had a big growth spurt in eighth grade, and committed to becoming goalkeeper full-time.”
LaFrance’s parents had to drive Logan three hours each way for practice, so he did doubles to maximize his time with the team.
“It took commitment from all sides,” LaFrance said. “I put my head down and controlled what I could control.”
That offseason, LaFrance decided on boarding school, to reduce the burden of travel. On full athletic scholarships, LaFrance played the fall season at Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford, Connecticut, and then the spring season at Altitude Academy in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
In Florida he again ascended, playing on both the program’s UPSL and USL (equivalent of double-A minor league baseball) teams. Learning from the country’s best coaches, and being exposed to the country’s best players and scouts, Logan continued to shape his game and was eventually noticed by FC Koln.
“Being able to play under so many different coaches and on so many different teams was 100 percent a huge bonus,” LaFrance said. “I was exposed to various styles of play, and became more of a vocal goalkeeper.”
That trait is ultimately what set LaFrance apart.
“I’m very loud on the field, it’s difficult not to notice me,” he said. “My philosophy about being goalkeeper is [to be] like a general and see everything. I try to be vocal out of the back and help my teammates.”
At Hampden soccer games this year, LaFrance could be seen directing traffic from the penalty box, telling his midfielders when to turn and where to pass, based on what he saw from the opposing defense.
“His overall communication gives [his teammates] a lot more confidence having that strong direction from the back,” Hampden head coach Madison Hartley said. “We were thrilled to have him back this year and his impact was huge in a short time.”
Logan hopes to be equally vital in Cologne, where the stakes will be higher than ever.
“At that level, the coaches get very critical,” LaFrance said. “I have to be 100 percent prepared to compete against the other guys.”
LaFrance is going to live near the FC Koln training facility with some of his teammates, take German language classes and practice nearly every day. After a couple days’ rest upon his arrival, his training will begin at full capacity.
“Homesickness is always a thing,” LaFrance said. “But I’m looking forward to meeting new people, making friends and seeing the sights — the great parts of going to a new place.”