Intensity and focus are what landed the Bonnyville U13 boys’ soccer team a win during their first tournament of the season.
The team brought home gold from the Sherwood Park Classic, after defeating Whitecourt 4-1 in the final.
The tournament ran from Friday, May 25, to Sunday, May 27, and featured teams from across the province.
Overall, the local team played well, said head coach Tyson Watters.
“Most of the team has played together extensively for several years, so they do a good job of playing off of each other,” he said. “They do a pretty good job of understanding that concept, maybe better than some of the other teams because they have had the advantage of playing indoor and outdoor together.”
With this advantage, the U13 boys have proven they’re the team to beat. So far this season, they have gone undefeated, but Watters won’t let that get to the players’ heads too much.
“It was a good group of kids. There’s an expectation because they have played together for such a long time to have success, which puts a little bit of pressure on them,” noted Watters. “It’s my responsibility to calm that pressure or make it feel like there isn’t that pressure.”
Throughout the tournament, Watters reminded his team they had to earn a win, by playing with the same intensity every minute of every game, regardless of the score.
“Something I have been challenging them on is starting the game with as much intensity as you would if there was five minutes left and it was a tied game. They need to understand that intensity from start to finish is super important,” Watters explained.
They faced a true challenge in their final match up against Whitecourt, where the gold medal was on the line.
They struggled to score in the first period, and when they did finally find the back of the net, Whitecourt wasn’t far behind.
This was their opponent’s first and only goal, because after pulling a few key players for a bit of a break, the team was back in full swing.
“I pulled those players off, challenged themselves to settle down, and they made an impact when I put them back in,” expressed Watters, adding once those players hit the field, they scored three back-to-back goals.
“I don’t think I could have asked for a better response to that challenge.”
Regardless of the sun, heat, exhaustion, and tough competition, the players gave no excuses, something their head coach takes pride in.
“They were definitely excited to win. That was our first tournament. We have won our league games to date,” Watters expressed.
Now, they face the Lakeland Cup, which will feature teams from across the region.
The U13 boys will be taking to the field in St. Paul for the U13 tournament June 22 to 24.
The winners will represent the Lakeland district at the 2018 Servus Youth ASA Tier IV Provincials in July.
Their plan to prepare for the cup is business as usual. With games between now and then against some of the tougher teams in the league, Watters feels the team should be well prepared for the big tournament in June.
A few of his top players have been selected for the Alberta Summer Games tryouts, so they will be working on preparing for their time in the spotlight.
“Hopefully they get asked to be on the Summer Games Team and they get that experience,” Watters added.
