Patrice Parris never envisioned he would be head coach of a soccer team. He never thought he would be a leader charged with the weighty responsibility of leading players to sporting victories while molding them into people they could be proud of.
"Hopefully one day they're going to be husbands, they're going to be fathers, they're going to have some kind of role in society where they're going to have to keep their character and integrity in check to make decisions," said Parris, head coach of the men's soccer team at the University of North Georgia (UNG). "Yes, we want to win games, but we also want to make sure that we are helping these generations of young men to make the world a better place."
Before becoming UNG's head soccer coach in 2007, he served as an assistant coach at Georgia Southern University under head coach Kevin Chambers. He mentored Parris and encouraged him to be a part of every aspect of the program, from managing the budget to heading the soccer camps, with the long-term goal of becoming a head coach.
Chambers' plan worked. Parris packed his bags and ventured to a little mountain town that he had never visited before. However, when reflecting on his time at UNG, Parris believes his most impactful accomplishment has been becoming a key member of the UNG family.
"Having the opportunity to work for a great boss and be a part of a growing institution that continues to head in a positive direction, academically, university-wise, athletically makes it feel like it's the best university in Georgia. I may be biased but that’s what it feels like," Parris said.
A self-proclaimed "Army brat," he was born in the Bronx, New York with both parents being from Jamaica, but has lived in several different environments ranging from Germany to Statesboro, Georgia, and now Dahlonega. But for Parris, who has a warm, optimistic demeanor and a glimmer of positivity, it was not hard to cultivate meaningful relationships. He accepts people from all walks of life.
"Diversity means, put it this way, I’m a J’American, right," Parris said with a chuckle. "Growing up in a military setting, diversity to me means one people. It doesn’t matter about your race or ethnicity, what matters is the understanding of who one is, this understanding will allow for greater collaboration of community.”
His emphasis on the importance of diversity was recognized in 2018 as one of the Diversity Champion Award recipients. The award was created by UNG President Bonita Jacobs and former advisor to the president on diversity, Dr. Sheila Caldwell. It recognizes members of the UNG community who have made lasting efforts to embrace UNG's mission of diversity and inclusion. He uses this award to his advantage with the UNG men's soccer team.
"Diversity means being able to have a relationship with someone because of who they are as a person and being able to accept them for who they are and represent," Parris said. "That’s what it boils down to. For me, working with my team is awesome. We are a mini United Nations, because we have players from everywhere."
Since the beginning of his stint at UNG, he has coached several players. To him, one of his most pressing responsibilities is to find ways to tactfully connect with his players to guarantee success.
"The formula is different this year," Parris said, adding his players must have the ability to adapt. "Things have changed, (we have) different players, different games, different coaches. But, at least we planted that seed back in 2007 and have found a way to continue to better ourselves, to change and adapt with the times, and to play a brand of soccer that is one, entertaining and two, allowing us to do something special within the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)."
He continues to shape his players into model citizens, instilling values of diversity, inclusion and determination. He grounds his players by repeating one mantra.
"At the end of the day, it’s always about the team," Parris said. "I always tell them; the University of North Georgia will always be here. I may not be here, the players may not be here, but the University of North Georgia will always be here.”
