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10/29/2024 02:49 PMMost recently, in the town of Branford, one of its schools broke through a major barrier in achieving a season full of firsts and many memories that will be cherished for some amount of time. Additionally, the athlete came away with a rewarding and fulfilling experience that will serve them well in their developmental years.
This past fall, for the first time ever, the Walsh Intermediate School (WIS) fielded both a boys’ and girls’ soccer team. Head Coach Amy Rathbun, leading the boys’ team with assistant coach Chris Sullivan, explained that not only were the athletes happy to play for their school and hometown at the youth level, but their opposing coaches were delighted as well. It is also a pivotal moment in creating a pipeline to future pitch superstars at the high school.
“It is quite an amazing thing to have these soccer teams at Walsh for the first time. Many of the coaches we have played against have commented that they were happy to see a team from Branford on the schedule, “ said Rathbun. “But most importantly, these teams are central for expanding the soccer community in our town of Branford. Having a team at WIS for these boys and girls has created an opportunity for students who otherwise may not be playing or have ever played soccer. In fact, about 30 percent of the boys on the team are playing on their first official organized soccer team, ever. This statistic alone makes our team accomplishments even more impressive as a team. There is definitely a level of pride in the boys as they are representing their school and their town. It really is something special to be a part of, and we believe these boys will look back on the season fondly many years into the future.”
Looking at the boys and their campaign, the inaugural triumph was a thriller. It was a come-from-behind contest against New Haven, coming back from a 3-1 deficit at the half to prevail, 5-3.It was the perfect win at the perfect moment, as it gave a spark to several newcomers to the sport.
This was a bit of a game changer for the team as it came after a few games where we lost by significant margins,” said Rathbun. “We believe this was a game where the boys started to believe they could play as a team and be competitive in our matches. The comeback effort by the team showed so much heart and no-quit attitude from the boys.”
An even bigger game was a 1-0 win over a Guilford team who had beaten WIS 8-3 in a prior meeting. Yet the progress and smiles go beyond the scoreboards, with the boys getting some valuable binding experiences and learning the value of teamwork.
“The accomplishments haven’t all been centered on the results on the field. It has been great watching the boys come together as a team and how supportive they are for each other at practice and games, even applauding each other as we announce starting lineups for the games,” said Rathbun. “ They have fun on the bus rides to games and also put the work in on the field. It’s been very enjoyable to be a part of this first season and watch the boys grow together as a team.”
The coaches were aiming for those who were ready and eager to learn the game while conducting themselves as sound athletes and supportive teammates.
“Our goals were determined early and lined up closely with our selection process during the tryouts in early September. We were looking for boys who wanted to be better soccer players, who showed strong efforts and worked hard, were very coachable, and were supportive of their teammates,” said Rathbun. We also wanted to build a team that would become a community together and put in the efforts to become better players and better people.”
From a coach’s perspective, Rathbun remarked that it was a balance of skill levels and backgrounds among the players. So they had the objective in mind to bestow them with the knowledge to be proficient in the essentials, but additionally, the savvy veterans stepped up as young mentors.
“As soccer coaches, we also obviously wanted to teach the game of soccer, and to so many players who are brand new to the game or have at least never been on an organized team,” said Rathbun. “This has had us focus a lot on awareness and positioning and working on basics. But the best part has been that the more experienced players have assisted their teammates with skills and helped them learn more about playing soccer. All of this has only strengthened the bonds of these teammates.”
The boys had to endure some expected growing pains as a new club full of many fresh faced individuals taking their maiden voyage onto the pitch. Yet through those early hardships, they have become more cohesive and jelled even better on the field–leading to the ensuing triumphs.
“The first games of the season came soon after tryouts, and we played as a group of individuals, which led to difficult results and lopsided losses,” said Rathbun. “The season has been a bit of an expansion team feel, as it’s apparent that many teams have been playing together for many seasons, and we were still coming together. But soon after we won our first game, the boys were hugging each other on the field after scoring. The group has now become a team; we look to each other and make plays, complete passes to each other, and make runs to support our teammates. But maybe more importantly, our team vocally supports each other, both on the field and the sideline for each other.”
As several of the athletes are learning how to play on an organized team for the first time, they are picking up on peripheral lectures and principles of life as well. They have discovered that there is a right way and wrong way to accomplish things on the turf–and part of that correct path involves giving it your all daily.
“There has been a big focus on soccer fundamentals and skills about how to play the game. We have also really focused on sportsmanship and not only playing hard and clean on the field but also being gracious winners and losers and always congratulating our opponents and thanking the referees after games,” said Rathbun. “A big life lesson for them has been that working hard will lead to success. Our players have to put in effort in practice and in the games to get the results we hope for. Being good at anything, whether sports, schoolwork, arts, all requires effort to improve skills. Without a high work rate, we simply won’t be successful.”
Proper conduct doesn’t just conclude within the white lines for the boys. They have been taught about how to carry themselves in the best way around the Walsh campus while establishing themselves as the peak student-athlete of tomorrow for Branford.
“We have made it a point that the boys are held accountable for their decisions and actions in the classroom as well,” said Rathbun. “Teachers know to communicate with us coaches if there are issues in the classroom, on buses, or in other components of the school life. We have been getting very positive reports from teachers across the building for the players on our roster. And it seems like being members of this soccer team has encouraged our boys to step up as leaders in the WIS community.”
The Walsh boys’ soccer roster is comprised of players in Jonathan Nana, Leo Patino, August De Santis-Puma,Bode Bialecki, Lucas DeFrancesco, Muath Elomami, Nate Lomba, Joey St. Pierre, Aarambha Chapagain, Amin Shah, Justin Perez, Cris Noguera Diaz, Cormick Martin, Kepler Dagou, Kaylyb Dortch, Ronan Halpin, Alex Lujan Toro, Malachi Pierre, and Kenji Chiriboga.