James King earned Saginaw Valley League honors in three different sports before competing at the NCAA Division I and professional levels.
His goal is to help future Saginaw United soccer players do the same.
Mr. King, 33, has been named the new head football coach of the Saginaw United football program, which has existed for the past three seasons as a cooperative program with students from Saginaw High School and Arthur Hill.
However, United will be its own school and football program heading into the 2024 season, with the goal of breaking three straight 0-9 records.
“I have been working with young athletes in the community at the high school level for the last eight or nine years,” King said. “We have to start building the program and building a sense of ownership for the team and the program.
“The need to look at the structure. We want to bring that. If that structure is missing critical pieces, the program cannot run properly. There are young people who get to know us as a person and as a program.”
King, a 2008 Arthur Hill graduate, earned Saginaw Valley League first-team honors in football and baseball, and all-league honors in basketball. King was his sophomore year on his team for the 2006 Arthur Hill State Championship Basketball.
He was the first four-year starter in Arthur Hill football history, starting at quarterback and then playing tight end and linebacker. King was also an excellent catcher and pitcher on the baseball team and earned a Division I scholarship to play baseball at Chicago State University.
“Playing three sports was very important,” King said. “It's necessary. These athletes need to play multiple sports. I'm going to promote that and help them play multiple sports. As a college coach, you want your kids to play multiple sports. I love watching you do it.
“Playing different sports improves your athletic IQ. You learn about playing different roles. You may be a star in one sport, but you may have to play a different role in another. .”
King, who also played arena football, has worked as an assistant coach with the Arthur Hill, Bridgeport and Saginaw United football programs.
“Experience is everything,” King said. “When you take over a program, whether it's going to be successful or not, you have to understand the program. I learned a lot from coaching and playing. You learn from the good and the bad.”
Lee Arthur coached the United team for the past three seasons with players from Saginaw High School and Arthur Hill.
“It was a tough situation,” Saginaw athletic director Corky Thompson said. “James wants to take the next step. He wants to see the community involved in football again and he's willing to put in the time to do that.
“He wants to make Saginaw United's soccer program one that the community can be proud of. He is a winner in every sport and has contributed to many positives for the Arthur Hill program.”
King knows it won't be easy.
“We will be holding youth camps in these buildings and offseason training for all athletes at the school, not just football players,” King said. “We want to show our athletes that we're here and we're going to work for you and help you grow as a young man or woman. You're just there. Not just someone.
“I have a training program called The Grit, the Grain, the Pain that I have used to train many athletes. We have helped seven children get into college in the last two years. I have done so.”
King expects the players to begin practicing once they return from spring break.
“The offseason work starts right away…we're working right away,” King said. “We want to get them in the weight room and get them conditioned, whether they’re playing soccer, running track or playing baseball.
“We're going to set up 7-on-7. That's going to be important to us. We're going to look at what we're teaching our kids and how things go at game speed. We need to make them learn something. That experience is absolutely necessary.”
United will play its home games at Saginaw High School in 2024 as construction of the field and stadium continues with the goal of playing United starting in the 2025 season.
Phoenix opens the 2024 season with a Week 1 matchup in Freeland, where they have made the playoffs every season since 2008.
“We're going to have some faces coming back from the community, and we're going to have some newcomers that are going to be really good for our youth,” King said. “We're going to do a lot in the community and keep people coming back. It's not just us.
“We need our coaches, players, alumni and community to get us back to where we want to be.”
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