{{Short description|American soccer player (born 1984)}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Aaron King | fullname = Aaron King | image = Aaron King (3445337057).jpg | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1984|7|26}} | birth_place = Denver, Colorado, United States | height = {{height|ft=6|in=1}} | position = Forward | currentclub = | clubnumber = | college1 = NC State Wolfpack | collegeyears1 = 2002–2005 | clubs1 = Boulder Rapids Reserve | clubs2 = Raleigh CASL Elite | years1 = 2004 | years2 = 2005 | caps1 = 7 | caps2 = 7 | goals1 = 4 | goals2 = 10 | years3 = 2006 | clubs3 = Colorado Rapids | caps3 = 0 | goals3 = 0 | years4 = 2007–2008 | clubs4 = Charleston Battery | caps4 = 51 | goals4 = 11 | years5 = 2009 | clubs5 = Carolina RailHawks | caps5 = 2 | goals5 = 0 | years6 = 2009 | clubs6 = → Wilmington Hammerheads (loan) | caps6 = 4 | goals6 = 1 | years7 = 2009 | clubs7 = Miami FC | caps7 = 5 | goals7 = 3 | years8 = 2010–2011 | clubs8 = FC Tampa Bay | caps8 = 56 | goals8 = 21 | years9 = 2013 | clubs9 = Phoenix FC | caps9 = 14 | goals9 = 2 | years10 = 2013 | clubs10 = FC Haka | caps10 = 8 | goals10 = 1 | years11 = 2014 | clubs11 = Carolina RailHawks | caps11 = 14 | goals11 = 0 | years12 = 2015–2017 | clubs12 = Colorado Springs Switchbacks | caps12 = 68 | goals12 = 14 | pcupdate = October 16, 2017 }}
'''Aaron King''' (born July 26, 1984, in Denver, Colorado) is an American former professional soccer player.
==Career==
===Youth and amateur=== King attended South High School and Smoky Hill High School where he won the 2000 Colorado State Soccer Championship. He then attended the North Carolina State University, playing on the men's soccer team from 2002 to 2005. During his four years at NC State, he scored forty-four and added fifteen assists. He was a 2005 second team All American.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nscaa.com/awards-detail.php?it=I&yr=2005 |title=2005 All Americans |access-date=2008-08-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060829032151/http://www.nscaa.com/awards-detail.php?it=I&yr=2005 |archive-date=2006-08-29 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
In 2004, King played with the Boulder Rapids Reserve in the fourth division Premier Development League during the collegiate off season. In 2005, he played with the Raleigh CASL Elite.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://pdl.uslsoccer.com/teams/2005/roster/22370.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081203174745/http://pdl.uslsoccer.com/teams/2005/roster/22370.html |url-status=dead |title=United Soccer Leagues (USL) |author=Demosphere International Inc. |archivedate=December 3, 2008 |website=pdl.uslsoccer.com}}</ref>
===Professional=== In 2006, the Virginia Beach Mariners selected King with the 15th pick in the USL First Division College Draft.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.southernsoccerscene.com/2006%20USL%20Draft%20Results.pdf|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061117043407/http://www.southernsoccerscene.com/2006%20USL%20Draft%20Results.pdf|url-status=dead|title=2006 USL First Division College Draft|archivedate=November 17, 2006}}</ref> On January 20, 2006, the Los Angeles Galaxy picked King in the fourth round (forty-eighth overall) in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft. King chose to sign with the Galaxy. On February 8, 2006, the Galaxy sent King to the Colorado Rapids in exchange for a first round pick in the 2007 MLS Supplemental Draft. He never saw a first team game, but played ten games, scoring two goals, with the Colorado Rapids reserve team.<ref>[http://web.mlsnet.com/pdf/mls/2006/reserve_div/0929_reserve.pdf 2006 MLS Reserve Stats] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061028184530/http://web.mlsnet.com/pdf/mls/2006/reserve_div/0929_reserve.pdf |date=October 28, 2006 }}</ref> On November 21, 2006, the Rapids waived King.<ref>[http://redbull.newyork.mlsnet.com/news/team_news.jsp?ymd=20061121&content_id=79227&vkey=pr_coc&fext=.jsp&team=t102 Rapids waive six players]{{dead link|date=October 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
In the spring of 2007, the Charleston Battery signed King after he impressed the team at trials.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.uslfans.com/view_news.php?id=2553|title=USLFans.com -- For the Fans, By the Fans|website=www.uslfans.com}}</ref> He spent two seasons in Charleston, scoring twenty-one goals in fifty-one games. On January 30, 2009, King signed with the Carolina RailHawks.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/railhawks-sign-former-nc-state-all-america-aaron-king/n-3771158|title=RailHawks Sign Former NC State All-America Aaron King|date=January 30, 2009|website=OurSports Central}}</ref> He suffered several injuries during the season which kept him out of most first team games. On April 24, 2009, he was sent on loan to the Wilmington Hammerheads of the USL Second Division where he injured his ankle. On August 31, 2009, the RailHawks sent him on a free transfer to Miami FC.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://railhawksreport.blogspot.com/2009/08/king-transfers-to-miami.html|title=King transfers to Miami}}</ref>
===FC Tampa Bay=== King signed with the FC Tampa Bay of the new USSF Division 2, and scored the first goal in the team's history on April 16, 2010, in a 1–0 win over Crystal Palace Baltimore. King signed a new contract with the club, which moved to the North American Soccer League, on February 8, 2011.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=4151019|title = FC Tampa Bay Continues to Build Strong Squad with Latest Additions|date = 8 February 2011}}</ref> He spent the 2011 season with Tampa Bay. On October 5, 2011, the club declined its 2012 contract option for King, making him a free agent.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://fctampabay.com/index.php?id=31&newsid=1397 |title=News | FC Tampa Bay |accessdate=2011-10-06 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111011232656/http://www.fctampabay.com/index.php?id=31&newsid=1397 |archivedate=2011-10-11 }}</ref>
===Phoenix FC=== King signed with Phoenix FC of the USL Pro for the 2013 season on November 19, 2012.<ref>{{cite web|title=Phoenix FC officially signs two more players|work=Odeen Domingo|publisher=Arizona Republic|date=2012-11-19|accessdate=2012-11-19|url=http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/OdeenDomingoFC/173936}}</ref> King then asked for his release from Phoenix FC in June 2013. In July, King then went on trial with FC Haka for three weeks before signing a contract with club.<ref>{{cite web|title=Aaron King to Confirm Hakan Attack|work=FC Haka|publisher=fchaka.fi|date=2013-08-05|accessdate=2013-08-05|url=http://www.fchaka.fi/etusivu/uutiset/1975-aaron-king-vahvistamaan-hakan-hyokkaysta|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140424075801/http://www.fchaka.fi/etusivu/uutiset/1975-aaron-king-vahvistamaan-hakan-hyokkaysta|archive-date=2014-04-24|url-status=dead}}</ref> King then went on to score on his debut with Haka FC against AC Oulu only four minutes after he was substituted into the match to make the score 2–0, and to help Haka confirm a 4–0 victory over AC Oulu.
===Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC=== King signed with USL Pro team Colorado Springs Switchbacks for the 2015 season. King ended his first season with the Colorado Springs Switchbacks with 7 goals and 2 assist.<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=http://www.uslsoccer.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG%3DC%26DB_OEM_ID%3D32800%26ATCLID%3D210633609%26SPID%3D157017%26SPSID%3D917152 |title=Veteran Forward King Re-Signs with Switchbacks - United Soccer League |accessdate=2016-03-05 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305153311/http://www.uslsoccer.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=32800&ATCLID=210633609&SPID=157017&SPSID=917152 |archivedate=2016-03-05 }}</ref>
On January 13, 2016, that King had resigned with Colorado Springs Switchbacks for the 2016 USL Pro season.<ref name="auto"/> On March 15, 2016, King scored in a 4-0 preseason victory against Ventura County Fusion.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.uslsoccer.com/news_article/show/625943-switchbacks-take-impressive-win-against-fusion |title=Switchbacks Take Impressive Win against Fusion |website=USLSoccer.com |date=16 March 2016 |access-date=2016-03-23 }}</ref>
==Coaching career== King continues to coach in the greater Denver area with the private coaching service, CoachUp.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.coachup.com/coaches/aaronk|title=Train with Aaron, a Soccer coach on CoachUp|website=CoachUp}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.miamifc.com/player.php?id=106&osCsid=&seasid=5&tseasid=1 Miami FC bio] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20080507194735/http://www.charlestonbattery.com/team_roster.asp?pid=1955 Charleston Battery bio]
{{DEFAULTSORT:King, Aaron}} Category:1984 births Category:Living people Category:American men's soccer players Category:Colorado Rapids U-23 players Category:Colorado Rapids players Category:Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC players Category:North Carolina FC players Category:Charleston Battery players Category:Tampa Bay Rowdies players Category:Fort Lauderdale Strikers (2006–2016) players Category:NC State Wolfpack men's soccer players Category:North American Soccer League (2011–2017) players Category:Phoenix FC players Category:North Carolina FC U23 players Category:Wilmington Hammerheads FC players Category:USL League Two players Category:USL First Division players Category:USL Second Division players Category:USSF Division 2 Professional League players Category:USL Championship players Category:LA Galaxy draft picks Category:Soccer players from Colorado Category:Men's association football forwards