Former New Hanover soccer star Aidan Payne reflects on first year at NC State

Aidan Payne is used to seeing the limelight.

The former New Hanover boys soccer star brought the Wildcats — and New Hanover County — a state championship trophy for the first time in 2021.

That season, Payne scored 54 goals, breaking the New Hanover County record at the time. Just months later, the striker was named the Gatorade North Carolina Player of the Year and announced he would play collegiate soccer at NC State.

Payne's first two seasons with the Wolfpack haven't been as glamorous as his last with the Wildcats, playing in just a handful of games in 2023. The lack of playing time, however, hasn't dampened the forward's spirit.

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"It's a big adjustment from high school to college, especially going to an ACC school," he said. "I didn't go in thinking I was going to be the best player on the team. I knew what it was going to be like."

While adapting to the physical nature of college soccer has been challenging, Payne says the mental side of his game has pushed him the most.

"The mental side is almost as important as being good physically," he said. "You have to be good mentally, or you're just not going to make it."

Since Payne graduated in 2022, several New Hanover County soccer teams have continued flourishing, including the Ashley girls soccer team, which has appeared in consecutive state championships.

"I feel for Ashley because I've been there and lost a state championship, it's not a great feeling," he said. "I think there's a lot of soccer talent (In Wilmington), so it's really cool to see that."

Only a few Wilmington-area boys athletes will earn a spot on a Division I soccer team in college each year, something Payne says pushes him to perform.

"Since I am one of the ones who got to play (In college), I feel like I need to show that we can do it and that we're good enough," he said. "I want to show everyone around that we're good enough to play at the next level."

While he might not have had many chances to show his talent last fall, Payne's optimistic outlook is one he'll carry his entire career.

"Sometimes you can get so caught up in playing time," he said. "Sometimes you just need to stop and look around and realize you're getting to play soccer while also getting to go to school ... and that's a pretty great thing."

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Former New Hanover soccer star Aidan Payne reflects on first year at NC State