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09/17/2024 12:02 PMFrom the early stages of his youth, Nathan Crown has virtually been tethered to a soccer ball. The attachment has paved the way for a mutually beneficial relationship between both Nathan and the Valley Regional boys’ soccer program.
The Valley Regional athlete started out with soccer at a very young age of four and stuck with the sport ever since as his only athletic avenue. After playing at various levels, including travel and middle school, Nathan garnered some minutes on varsity as a freshman. Yet through his hard work, dedication, and commitment to the Warriors, he has worked his way up to being a starting forward for Valley this fall and is leading the 2-1 squad as a captain.
“With soccer, I love the people. I love the people I play with and my coaches. I also love how the sport keeps you in shape, and plus it taught me a lot about sportsmanship and keeping my head up,” says Nathan. “One thing that has helped me is just constantly practicing. I practice five to six days a week with Sundays being my off day. I think playing on my premier team in the past helped me be a better player. Another thing that has helped me be successful has been listening to feedback from my coaches and former captains on this team.”
As a striker at the forefront of the field and Valley offense, Nathan always craves the net. With his field assignment comes a lot of attention and pressure from opposing defenses, but he is able to hand that challenge with ease.
“My favorite part of playing forward is of course the scoring factor. I like scoring the goals and just helping the team win overall,” says Nathan. “Sometimes it can be hard to get the ball up top. A lot of times when you get it up top, you can have four defenders on you, and you have to decide quickly what to do. Whenever I receive the ball, I make sure I look back beforehand and see if there are any defenders on me and where they are overall and make my move based on that.”
In terms of his mental game, Nathan is a much more composed competitor than he was in year’s past. Throughout his years of experience on the pitch, he has learned to keep his emotions in check, even when things can get frustrating.
“I have gotten better with the mental side of the game,” Nathan says. “In the past, I was known to get upset and hang my head when things don't go right. But then I realized that things will not go your way all of the time. I have learned to just move on and stay calm. I have also learned to stay calm and not get upset with refs because it can lead to yellow cards.”
Nathan knows he isn’t the perfect soccer player, but he is aware of where his strengths and weaknesses are and has set goals for himself to improve in the weaker areas of his game.
“I have improved in my physicality over the last few years. I was small as a freshman, so I would get tired when I played minutes on varsity going against bigger kids. But now I am bigger, taller, and stronger,” says Nathan. “I am also better in my footwork with the ball and getting touches and making passes. I feel like I can work on communication, especially as a captain this year.”
As Nathan has now stepped into the leadership helm, his eye is on the ultimate collective prize in the form of a state championship. But looking at the bigger picture and the journey along the way, he hopes to make everyone feel welcome and get his teammates all working in tandem.
“Being a captain is great; I love it, and it is going well,” Nathan says. “I like my team and the coaches. I want to lead this team to a state title. I feel like we have a good chance to win. But I also want to help my coaches and make the game fun for all the players.”
Although it may have taken a little bit of time for the newcomers in the program to feel at home, Nathan has already seen a lot of growth when it comes to the overall camaraderie and locker room vibes.
“The preseason started out a little difficult because the freshmen were shy and new, but we broke them in and they are more comfortable talking to us,” Nathan says. “This year, I feel like we have come together as a team, and things are going well. We started off the year strong with a win, too.”
Valley boys’ soccer Head Coach Mick Fearon has seen Nathan grow in a variety of areas but is especially pleased with his ability to play in different positions and show his diverse skill set. He also sees Nathan as a true competitor for the way he carries himself in a game.
“Nathan is a very competitive player in practice and in games. Nathan has played mostly as a forward during his time at Valley and last year showed his versatility while playing as a defensive marking back,” says Fearon. “Nathan has good speed and dribbling skills. He has improved on his decision making on when to take a player on or when to pass. He is learning that a forward has to work on closing down defenders, as well as tracking back on helping with his defensive duties.”
As Nathan starts to look towards his life and career post-Valley, he never wants to part ways with his first and only athletic passion project. Regardless of the athletic options in his post-grad education after leaving the Warriors, soccer will be the one constant.
“My No. 1 goal is to play soccer in college. I want to continue to pursue the sport I love the most,” says Nathan. “I want to just keep playing soccer, along with having a good career in my life. Even if I do not end up on a collegiate team, I would love to play club soccer. I do not want to give up soccer.”