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Above: Jake Joseph, and Joseph
Rosa-Diniz pose for a picture on the cabin balcony at the retreat
Boys Soccer Retreat a Smashing Success 11/19
The boys varsity
soccer team returned from a whirlwind weekend on Sunday. It started
Friday with a scrimmage at home against Piedmont Hills high school. The
game went well, and the VC coaches were able to get the evaluations that
they needed.
“We had a decent
performance against Piedmont Hills, but that game also served as a
reminder that there is still a lot of work to do before we’re ready for
the season. Our shape was poor, and in general the attitude was a
little more relaxed then I would’ve liked.” Coach John Basanese said.
“Jake Joseph had a
great goal on a free kick, and we really should’ve finished a few
others. Lots to do yet, but we saw some bright spots,” Basanese
concluded.
The next morning, the
team met bright and early to head out for the weekend. The team got
into the vans, and headed to Skyline college for the WCAL Jamboree.
Arriving early, the team was able to stretch their legs, and prepare for
their first game against Archbishop Riordan.
The Warriors came out
strong against a re-vamped Riordan team.
“It was a great way to
start the day, we were able to put 4 goals away. Riordan played well I
thought. They have a new coach this year who’s doing a great job with
those kids. They’ll be a legitimate challenge for us this season.”
Basanese said.
The game would end
4-0, with three goals by Alex de Leon and a fourth by Trevor Plug.
The interesting thing
about all three games was the fog. Notice in the pictures, there is a
really thick fog. Coach Donny Fugate had this to say about the
challenge the fog presented.
“It was difficult to
really assess the game because we couldn’t see. At one point, Riordan
was awarded a PK, and nobody on the bench even knew because we couldn’t
see. It wasn’t until Danny saved the PK that we knew what had
happened.”
After the Jamboree,
the team got back into the VC vans, and headed for the Santa Cruz
mountains. A few flying sandwiches, and a brilliant shortcut later, the
team arrived. The players carried their bags to the cabins to shower
up. The cabins were separated by position, Fugate had the defenders,
McIntire the forwards, and Basanese took the mids.
Once everyone was
cleaned up, the team met to deconstruct the Jamboree. A list of
positives and negatives were made, and both lists were discussed. Once
that meeting was over, the Jamboree was in the past.
Next on the agenda was
some ping pong, air hockey, and pool before dinner. By the time that
dinner rolled around, the team had worked up quite the appetite. The
Mt. Hermon staff served a very good steak dinner, and the hunger was
satisfied.
After dinner, the team
began a series of meetings beginning with a special appearance by Mr.
Joe Nettemeyer who spoke on personal discipline, and team unity. Joe
put the kids through an exercise where they wrote what they wanted to
improve on, on 3x5 cards. The speech was inspiring to all the players.
Sophomore defender
Kyle Grayson had this to say when discussing his favorite moments from
the trip.
“I really appreciated
Mr. Nettemeyer’s words, that was very inspiring to me.”
After Mr. Nettemeyer
spoke the captains met with the team to discuss team goals.
The goals were as
follows:
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Give 100% effort
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Qualify for the CCS playoffs
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Give everything on and off
the field.
Afterwards, the team
discussed the team’s slogan: Warriors, Family, Everything. They worked
on defining what each item means to them. For Basanese, this was a big
turning point for the team.
“Every year, this is a
really important discussion. This year, I really felt like the kids
were engaged in defining what it is that we stand for. What does it
mean to represent Valley Christian? What does it mean to be a family?
What does it mean to give everything? As a coach, it made me very
proud.”
With 4 hours of
meetings and prayer out of the way, it was time for fun.
The lighted tennis
courts served as perfect soccer tennis courts, and eventually two indoor
soccer fields (with mini goals). Four teams were formed, and the games
began. The competition was fierce and fun, but at the end, the
champions were Kevin Tarangioli, Jeff Mueller, Joseph Rosa-Diniz, and
Coach Basanese. It’s important to note that they were the only team
with 4 players instead of five…
At midnight, it was
time for pizza! Basanese and Fugate cooked up a few pizzas for the
midnight snack, and sent the kids off to the cabins.
Once in the cabins,
the kids bonded in the annual affirmation time affectionately known as
the ‘Circle of love.’
“The kids love each
other, and we love our kids. The circle of love is a chance for us to
tell each other, without feeling stupid or awkward. It’s a good moment,
and something we treasure in our program,” Coach Fugate said.
Around 2am, it was
time for bed.
The next morning, the
team shared a breakfast in the cafeteria. The kids had pancakes,
yogurt, Lucky Charms, and sausage.
After breakfast it was
off to church as a team at Venture church at Los Gatos Christian, and
then back to the school.
The trip was a
resounding success, and the coaching staff now feels that the team is
ready for the season.
“Honestly, I never
would’ve guessed that this retreat could’ve been this successful. The
school was so supportive in allowing us to take this trip. We
accomplished every single thing that we set out to do. God took care of
us in every single way. We arrived to each stop in the retreat right on
time, our safety was perfect, and the kids had a great time. This
weekend was a blessing to us coaches, and hopefully to the kids as
well,” Basanese concluded.
Needless to say, this
is the beginning of a great VC Soccer tradition!
Retreat
Photos here
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