TO:  ALL ST. JOHNSBURY ACADEMY STUDENTS

FROM:  MR. CONTE, ATHLETIC DIRECTOR

Fall Sports programs have begun here at the Academy.  I would like to remind student athletes that you must have a current physical form on file in the Athletic Office, signed by your physician.  This signed form may be faxed to 802-751-2117.   It is now a requirement for all Academy students to have a physical examination by a licensed physician every 12 months. This must be obtained before the start of the season in order to be eligible to participate, even in a practice.  Another important requirement to be aware of is that you must have a minimum of 10 practices before you can participate in a scheduled game.

COACH:  Mr. Richard McCarthy  748-1669
JV: Adam Kennedy   Rookies: Richard Walden

Click here to download the Fall 2010 Varsity Boy's Soccer Team schedule (updated 30 Aug. '10).

Fall 2009 Varsity Boys' Soccer Team--Capital League Champions (second consecutive year) 9-0-1

First off, the word soccer doesn't do American kids justice to the amount of talent some of them possess. Being a Bermudian I grew up calling "soccer" football or more commonly used "ball." When I first heard everybody calling the sport I love so much and know soccer, I immediately thought these Americans don't know anything about this sport. I was instantly proven wrong.

During the first try out, Coach McCarthy (who has become like my father figure out here in Vermont) was telling me do simple things on and off the ball. Everything he was telling me to do was working out perfectly, and I was impressed by how much this man knew about football. Coach stresses how important it is as an individual to work hard for the team and that everything you do is for, and will affect, the team. The team slogan is US, which stands for Unity and Sacrifice.

The level of coaching was definitely a surprise to me. Not only the tactical part but the relationship the coach McCarthy and coach Kennedy have with the players. Everytime I see these guys in school, I see not only a teacher but a friend, a close friend at that. Coach McCarthy is probably by far the best at recognizing what positions players do well in. He played me out of position numerous times as a defensive midfielder, a right back, and a sweeper. I had never played defense in my life and hated it, but I have learned to appreciate the defensive aspects of the game a lot more. I can confidently say without the guidance of the two coaches, I wouldn't have become such a mature level-headed player. While coach tries to make his players play the game he needs from them, he also tries to work with the players individual attributes and allow them to impose their own style to the teams. He is an intelligent, strict and somewhat lenient coach all at the same time.

For the fitness aspect, Coach Kennedy is in charge of keeping the team in top condition.  Coach is by far the most serious fitness coach I've ever trained under. Not only is the fitness work hard, and a true test of will and resistance, but it's also fun and helps the team bond. Without his determination to keep us fit and not giving up on us after we had given up on ourselves was one of the driving forces behind our successful season.

The level of play that our team here at St. Johnsbury Academy this past season was unbelievably high. Thanks to great coaching and tremendous global talent, we pulled together after a slow start to win the league playing not only consistent but enjoyable and extremely attractive football, defensively and especially offensively. I am extremely proud to have been a part of such a talented and closely bonded team.

Matteo Frazzoni
     --Bermuda

As I grew playing soccer in the streets of Honduras, I always dreamed of playing in the States at the College level. I went through many phases of learning through my football career. I became interested in attending one more year of high school (since in Honduras students have to take only 3 years) and this was when St. Johnsbury Academy became more than a blessing to my life.

As I thought of Vermont when I was home, I didn't know much of it and especially I didn't know about Vermont's soccer style and quality of play. I remember arriving one afternoon to the Academy and the first thing they mentioned was meeting the soccer team who was practicing on the field. I remember walking through the gates of the soccer field and looking at group of young guys seated and getting ready to play soccer. I walked through the field and saw Coach McCarthy who introduced me to the whole team and this was how it all began. Next day I was able to practice with the team, and in the next days the first cut from varsity level was done and then we had our varsity team. We had 18 guys who each knew what his role was in the team, what everyone was expected to do, and this kept going throughout the whole season.

But before I go into details about the seasons, let me tell you, I didn't know what the word fitness meant until I met Coach Kennedy, he is the one in charge of the varsity fitness. Every player must be able to run a 6 minute mile just to practice with the team.  Our fitness throughout the season created a great advantage to our soccer program. The level of coaching from both Coach McCarthy and Kennedy is extremely professional from my point of view; a close relationship between the soccer team and the coaches is created as the season advances.  It becomes almost like father and son relationship in which unity among the team is inevitable.

As I mentioned before, I didn't know much about Vermont before coming to Saint Johnsbury, it was until then that I learned about the soccer level and quality of playing. I personally thought—and it was arrogant to think this way— the soccer was going to be easy, but as I was playing the first game of the season I realized my idea and concept of soccer in Vermont was totally wrong. Soccer in Vermont is so much faster and stronger than any other place I have played before. So as I went to the first three games of the season, I had to adapt to the playing style and after that everything became much better for me and the whole team.

I strongly believed the Academy is a great place to study and play soccer.  The experience gained on and off the soccer field is greater than you can imagine; you grow in your ideas of teamwork, brotherhood, and family. For me personally the soccer team was more than just my teammates, each and every one of them became my family on and off the field.

Anthony Stanley
  --Honduras

Establishing Community

Because of its diverse cultural composition, the boys’ soccer program can and should be the jewel of the Academy.  By striving to foster personal connections and commitments between players of different racial, ethnic, and economic backgrounds, we can provide an experience that very few student-athletes have available.  It is our hope that through the efforts of players and parents we are able to create and sustain a soccer community that reaches from the varsity level all the way down to the youth leagues.  By fostering a sense of community and stewardship for the program, we look forward to each player and parent having a lasting impact on soccer in the St Johnsbury Academy area.

Sincerely,
Coach Dick McCarthy, Varsity; rmccarthy@stjacademy.org