A Parent's View of the Boys U16 Championship Run

by Parent Lori Gates

If I had a dollar for every time I calmed my son with the words “winning isn’t everything” after a sports loss, I could pay for his first year of college textbooks. But last Sunday, winning may not have been everything, but it sure tasted extraordinarily sweet. My son was a member of the 2011 Massachusetts Tournament of Champions first place team in the Boys U16 Division of Massachusetts Youth Soccer.  

The final game was a showdown between two powerhouses that had each played through four previous games in one hot, humid weekend. A scoreless regulation game went into two overtimes. Still scoreless, the game had to be determined by penalty kicks—just five individual kickers taking turns facing the goalie. Malden’s goalie prevented one more goal than the other team’s goalie. The Malden goalie was my son, Vance Gates.

Earlier this spring, Melrose Youth Soccer did not have enough interest to fill a team of boys under the age of 16.  Coach Foster Morales, a passionate soccer fan whose son is a talented defenseman, collaborated with Malden Youth Soccer to organize a team of boys from diverse ethnic backgrounds who would become the state champions. The interest was so great that more players showed up for try-outs than could be included in the roster and some had to be turned away. Through it all, Susan Morales, Foster’s wife, managed the nitty gritty administrative details and kept all of us parents informed and on task. 

Morales has a true mentor approach to coaching. He inspires his players through positive reinforcement and empowering each and every player to maximize his own talents.

No games were played on a home field. Each player logged hours of practice and play time in heat, mud, wind or cold. Each family logged miles of travel and hours of cheering. But no team defeated the Malden-Melrose collaborative the entire season.

There are only two things I know about soccer:

1. Only the goalie can place hands on the ball, and
2. I have never seen such agility, control, perseverance, unwavering effort and sheer determination from any other soccer team.

I am proud of these boys. Most importantly, I am grateful for the beautiful experience my son has had playing with incredibly talented and diverse teammates and the guidance of a wise and caring coach. 

[This team was Malden Youth Soccer's BU16. ]