Teamwork and fun make for a great season

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 06/09/2016 (3604 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Please allow me to introduce to you the FC Northwest U9 boys soccer team that I coach.

They are a wonderful group of hard-working, dedicated young athletes who sure have a lot of fun playing the beautiful game of soccer.

Between games and practices they are typically occupied three nights a week, and have played in a few tournaments during the course of the season as well.

When coaching young athletes, it is truly beautiful to watch them develop a greater understanding of the game. The use of space in soccer is almost poetic when done properly and these FC Northwest U9 boys are developing that skill splendidly. I am so very proud of the commitment to teamwork shown by the boys. On and off the field they look out for each other and know that we are much stronger as a group when we work together.

From left to right in the accompanying photo, Trey is very hard-working and is always looking to find a teammate with a pass; Nazar is strong on the ball and has a heck of a shot; Amandio is very dedicated to the game and has skill to burn; Sebastian has mastered the position of goalkeeper and is very smart with the ball; Liam loves playing defence and does a great job of keeping opponents outside; Treyton dominates his space and makes great decisions; Caiden always puts forth great effort and has a big left-footed shot; Elliot is a defensive guru who has mastered the art of the throw-in; Mateusz is a striker extraordinaire who loves to have fun; Mohamed is a very gifted player with great feet.

I’d really like to thank my assistant coach Paul and our team manager Lisa Marie for all of their wonderful help.

All in all, this group has come together to create the kind of team that we will remember forever.

To all involved with the Winnipeg Youth Soccer Association, congratulations on another wonderful outdoor season.

Former Winnipeg Blue Bombers kicker Troy Westwood is co-host of The Big Show, every weekday morning from 6 to 10 a.m. on TSN 1290 radio. He writes about Winnipeg’s unsung sports heroes every other week in the Canstar Community News weeklies. If you know of an athlete whose story Troy should tell, contact him at: troy.westwood@bellmedia.ca