Perseverance Pays Off for Sr Boys Soccer

By Sonny Pawar, Technical Director of Soccer Over the past few months, I have had the privilege of coaching the fine group of young men which made up our Senior Boys Soccer team. We came together in September, a little unsure of what the upcoming season would bring. Having graduated a large group of our senior players from last year, we had to rely on a small number of players to lead the way and hope that some new players would join us on our journey. I can honestly say that these gentlemen taught me more about becoming a team than I could ever have taught them about the sport of soccer. Their ability to collaborate and their belief in themselves and each other took us further than any tactical formation from a coaching board. If I had to use one word to summarize this team and our season, it is without a doubt, perseverance. Each of these players would give 100% when they took to the pitch and wouldn’t stop until the final whistle was blown. There was more than one occasion where we took to the field with fewer than 11 players and there were times when finished the game with less than a full team due to injury. No one complained. They just got on with the task at hand. They stayed focussed on their individual roles and responsibilities. This attitude and mindset brought our team many positive game results. But even more important, it brought us together. Their belief made us a tight knit groups of players that trusted in each other and trusted what they wanted to accomplish as a team. Each responsible for their specific role on and off the field. Every one pulling in the same direction and giving it their all. And the results were outstanding. 1st place finish in our league, a silver medal at the Island Championships, and a bronze medal at the Provincial Championships. Boys, I thank you for your perseverance, hard work, sportsmanship and team work. You exemplify the power of collaboration and belief. You represented our school and yourselves in a fashion that makes me proud to be called your coach. Thank you.