When Charlie Adams moved to England with his family as an eighth-grader, he wasn't about to give up soccer. So when the Stillwater midfielder got to Cobham, a town only a 30-minute drive outside of London, he tried out for the school team.

He was young, transplanted away from home, undersized at 5-2. An American trying to play soccer in a world where soccer -- football, that is -- rules all.

He knew it wouldn't be easy.

"I didn't have too many things going for me right away," Adams said with a laugh.

Regardless, he still made the varsity team. He already had established himself as a smart, skilled player on the St. Croix Rossoneri club team in America. Now, he had to re-establish himself overseas. It's a faster, more physical brand of soccer. He learned that quickly. "It made me grow up a little bit. It was definitely a big transition in the bruise department," he said.

Mindful of his surroundings, he minced what words he used carefully.

"If I had to talk, I'd say a few words so I could disguise it a little bit," Adams said. "They don't want an American beating them in soccer. They don't like that too much."

Adams took his beatings. He got thrown around and tackled recklessly, but it made him a tougher player.

Just ask Stillwater Ponies varsity coach Phil Johnson, who noticed changes immediately upon Adams' return to the United States as a junior in high school. He didn't shy away from contact but rather sought it out. That was just a part of his game now.

"He took a lot of licks. He had some hip knocks and legs cut out from underneath him," Johnson said. "He literally knew how to collapse without resisting and getting injured. He endured so much pain, and dealt with it."

Adams didn't grow much in England -- he's about 5-8 now -- but he took big leaps in his playing ability and awareness. He helped Stillwater to back-to-back Suburban East Conference Championships and a 2010 Class 2A state tournament berth. Adams was named team MVP, all-state and was selected to the NSCAA All-Midwest Region team by the coaches association.

He was the team's toughest, most tenacious defender and attacker, and could escape any situation. Lateral movement, vision and battle level made him a cog in the lineup.

"He held our midfield for a couple years in such a strong way," Johnson said. "He was our definer at the holding position and the distribution position."

This past spring, he committed to playing at Gustavus, where he hopes to first make the varsity squad and eventually earn a starting position.

He knows that won't be easy, but if his experience overseas proves anything, that's just what Adams is looking for.

"Just being the lone American on an English team makes you a lot tougher," Adams said. "You've got to deal with things quicker because you know life's not too easy. You've got to keep going and going."