Upper School
by Coach Andrew and Coach Justin
The 2021 MMFS varsity soccer team came out with a lot of enthusiasm to get back out on the field and compete together as a unit. We fielded our largest roster ever with 26 players, including 16 underclassmen. Our preseason started two weeks before the first day of school, with extended field sessions at Brooklyn Bridge Park and training with Lead ‘Em Up—a dynamic and engaging leadership program used by youth, high school, and college sports teams all over the country. This was our first year with the program and it had a tremendous impact–giving our athletes the language and tools needed to help foster emerging leadership on our team, and create a positive environment in which our players were able to identify when their teammates were struggling and use strategies to support them. The program was well received and kept morale high; it will be an integral part of our program moving forward.
A highlight of this season was seeing senior captain Roberto T. take on a leadership role with the concepts taught in Lead ‘Em Up. He finished the season with three goals and was an integral part of our play in the midfield both on offense and defense. It was also a very bittersweet send-off for our senior goalie Grey C., who finished his second season as our starting goalie. Grey is a very talented goalie and soccer player who averaged around 20 saves a game and even scored a goal in his limited time playing on the field.
Seniors Abe S. and Charles W. will also be sorely missed. Abe paid his dues and developed from a 9th grader reserve to a 12th grader who was a reliable starter and team leader. He came into this season in great shape and with a positive attitude, and was a consistent presence on the defensive end. He demonstrated tremendous growth and got more aggressive each game. Charles was on the other wing and completed his second season with us. He was tenacious, eager to learn, and had a wonderful season.
Senior Renny M. had another very impactful year as a strong presence all over the field. He played almost every position on the field and even prepped to be goalie. This year was also a send-off for senior Caroline M. who joined our program just this year. She was a supportive teammate with a lot of fundamental skills and a very positive addition to our team.
While we didn’t record a win, the morale on this team remained high throughout the season, reflected by our practice attendance which never wavered at any point. We are looking forward to the future and look at this season as one of setting a solid foundation for the next generation of soccer here at MMFS.
Click here to view photos from the 2021 varsity soccer season.
Share This Post:
