ANNVILLE, Pa. – The U.S. Men's National team's phenom Christian Pulisic visited Lebanon Valley College this morning and talked with the boys and girls who were a part of LVC's annual soccer camp.

The camp, which is run by head men's soccer coach Charlie Grimes and head women's soccer coach Todd Hoffard and a number of their players, is running this week from Monday through Thursday and over 130 kids from the area are on campus looking to have fun and/or better their skills.

Christian's father, Mark, was the previous head coach here at LVC until Grimes, an assistant from 2002-04, took over the duties in 2005. Grimes and Christian have known each other for several years and still keep in touch. Last summer, Grimes flew over to Germany to spend a week with Mark and Christian while the then-17-year-old played for Borussia Dortmund. To read a story about Grimes' time overseas with Christian, click here.

Christian continues to play for Borussia Dortmund and is now a part of the U.S. Men's National Team as they steadily go through the qualifying stages for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which is set for next summer in Russia. He was the youngest player to represent the senior national team in a FIFA World Cup qualifier and in August, Borussia Dortmund will take on Bayern Munich in the 2017 DFL-Supercup in Germany.



When Grimes asked Christian if he'd like to be a part of the camp, he jumped at the chance. "It's just so cool to have him here," said Grimes. "The kids' eyes were bulging out of their heads because they were so excited to see him."

Christian stuck around for much of the morning to sign autographs for each child and take several pictures with the group as well. He then spent more time with the campers in a Q & A session, answering questions that ranged from "do you have a girlfriend?" to "how do you communicate with your teammates who don't speak English?"



"He's a really good young man," said Grimes with a smile on his face. "It's more than what he's achieved on the soccer field… He's a good person and a good role model for these kids to have, not just on the field but off the field as well. The fact that he's willing to give up his time really says something about his character."



When asked about coming to the LVC soccer camp, Christian had nothing but good things to say: "I just love getting to see all of these kids," he said. "I was in the same spot they were not too long ago and to come back here and see these fields brings back memories. It was a really exciting day."



It was certainly an exhilarating day for everyone at LVC. Before camp, most of the kids looked up to Christian and realized who he was, but after getting a chance to meet him and receive his autograph, their fandom may have been elevated in a big way. At just 18 years old, Christian has become a role model for children, teens, and perhaps adults across the country. He may not realize it right now, but just a simple autograph or saying hello to a child at soccer camp can go a long way.