Chris Henderson was named Atlanta United's new chief soccer officer and sporting director this week, bringing with him 17 years of MLS front office experience. He joins as part of club president and CEO Garth Lagerwey's longterm vision to remake Atlanta United in order to create sustainable program capable of competing for championships year after year.
Henderson joins Atlanta from Inter Miami CF, where he served in the front office for four years. He spent 12 years of his career with Seattle Sounders. In Seattle, he previously worked with Lagerwey and built consistent success. Seattle made the playoffs in all 12 years under Henderson's leadership.
Now that he's introduced himself, we sat down with Henderson and asked him 17 questions -- some soccer-related, some just for fun -- to help our supporters get to know him a little better:
Inter Miami is coming off a historic season and has the best player in the world on its roster. Why was now the right time for you to join Atlanta United and take on this project?
The infrastructure is in place -- the vision, the alignment, the values of this club, the facilities, one of the best stadiums in the world. This training center is amazing. State of the art. It would be a big draw for players to come play here. I'm excited for what is going to come in the next few years, and the success that we can have, and working with a team of people who are aligned with the same vision.
Tell us a little bit about your family. Who's coming with you to Atlanta?
My wife and I have five children. Three of them are with us, two are grown. It's an exciting time for us to come here. It's a new city -- new restaurants, new schools, new parks, new soccer clubs. Everything around the family is something I'm really looking forward to and sharing with them.
You sometimes post inspirational quotes on social media. Where do you find your quotes?
I love quotes. I start out my day with a quote. I'm friends with a former coach in Louisville, Kentucky, Ken Lolla, he sends me quotes daily. I had a coach when I was a young player in my teens, and every game sheet, he put a quote at the top of it for that game. I just loved that, and I carried that with me all the way through my career. Sometimes you need to just simplify how you're going to tackle each day, and how you think of each moment, and sometimes quotes can encapsulate that.
Is there a specific quote that inspired you to take this leap toward Atlanta United?
My dad was an athlete growing up and very involved in me and my two brothers' sporting lives. He said that good athletes finish strong and if you work hard, good things will happen. I always remember that. As I was leading up as a teenager, I was one of the youngest players in the 1990 World Cup. From 16 to 19, I didn't take one day off. I realized at the end of those years when I was 19, I made a World Cup team. So, I've always kept that with me, that if you work hard, good things will happen.
Can you recall your earliest memory of soccer?
Going to my game when I was five years old. We didn't move the clocks right, and I was an hour late. I remember showing up there, and I told the coach I got stuck at the traffic light. He looked at me like, 'You're an hour late.' He put me in the game. I got a penalty and scored, and it inspired me to continue playing soccer.
When you're on the road, recruiting or traveling to watch soccer matches, how do you like to pass the time?
I love reading. I love running. I've loved running my whole life. That's therapy for me. And I love spending time with my kids.
What's your favorite country to travel to outside of the United States?
Argentina or France. The south of France is beautiful.
If you could travel back to your playing days, which match would you like to experience again?
That would be a dream to go back. Being a player is the best job in the world. But this (Atlanta United sporting director) is second. My first MLS Cup as a player was 1997. We lost 2-1 in the final, so probably going back to that game and changing the result. I've been really fortunate to be a part of some really good teams, really good franchises. I've learned something in every different franchise, and I do think that experience makes me a better executive. Now, I take all the good and bad that I've learned and try and connect that with the people that I'm with relationships with at the club.
Since you're new to the city, is there an aspect about Atlanta culture that you're most looking forward to learning more about or checking out?
I'm excited to learn more about the music scene here. To me, it's a really cool scene. I want to check out the restaurants here. Everyone I talked to who has lived here, I've only heard good things. People say it's an amazing city and that I'm going to love it, so I'm looking forward to it.
Do you follow any sports outside of soccer?
I like to play tennis. I just recently started watching tennis. I like all sports. I grew up playing baseball, basketball, soccer. I like to support the hometown teams, so I want to check out the Hawks, the Falcons, the Braves. I want to try and go to at least one or two games a year in each sport.
Atlanta United has made analytics a bigger focus under Garth Lagerwey. What's your approach?
Data analytics are very important. It goes all the way through the process -- daily training, game evaluation. It goes hand-in-hand with the tactical, technical, physical and recruitment process. It goes all the way through the process. I know Garth was the same with analytics and data in Seattle, so that's nothing new to me. I carried that into my last club, and I think we'll carry that on. We have a great team of people to work with. It's a good balance of how you can check the eye test and what you do with the art of scouting, along with the data and what proves the physical and data metrics.
Which soccer great has inspired you the most?
When I was young, I grew up in Seattle, and I watched soccer made in Germany. Thomas Häßler and Pierre Littbarski were two players that I watched on the German national team in the 1980s who were top players who played my position at outside midfield. They wore wristbands. I wore wristbands when I played. They had a big influence on how I trained, and how I dreamed to be a national team player and an MLS player.
What's your favorite dish to order at a restaurant?
My wife was born in Thailand, so probably a Thai dish.
All-time favorite movie?
The Shawshank Redemption
In your introductory press conference, you said you've followed the club for a long time. Which Atlanta United player, past or present, did you really enjoy watching play?
There's two. Josef Martínez. I had him in Miami. Also, he's just a great, great person. He had an amazing career here. And Miguel Almirón. He was the one that I had on the discovery list at another team, and then Atlanta bought him. He had a great, great time here.
Which part of the game of soccer brings you the most joy?
Winning a championship with a group of people, sharing that vision and sharing the ride. It's the process of getting to that championship. You put in so many hours, and only one team gets to raise that trophy. It's really special to share with other people.
And finally, what do you want the 17s to know about you?
I want them to know that I appreciate every single game, win or lose, that they're with us. It's really important for me that our club and our players connect with our fans and that no matter the result, they're proud of the team that's out there and they're proud of the effort of the team. Sometimes you have things go your way, sometimes it doesn't. But know that we're going to build a team that makes this city and this state proud. We're going to fight for championships. I saw what the atmosphere was like in the playoffs this year. It can get really loud in the building, and that's a huge advantage for our team.
