The U15 Sunshine Coast Youth Soccer Association rep boys’ soccer team finished an impressive season with a repeat championship at the Okanagan Ice Breaker Tournament in Kelowna this past Easter weekend.
On their way to the trophy, the U15 Boys’ team knocked off Vernon United, Shuswap, and then finally Nelson in a runaway final that featured a hat-trick by Langdale’s very own Daniel Rubio. Maybe even more impressive was the Storm’s ability to keep the ball out of the net.
With an impenetrable back four and solid goaltending between the pipes, the Storm only conceded one goal in four games.
This past year, the U15 Storm competed with the Lower Mainland’s best Division 1 teams, finishing in the top eight of a competitive 19-team division. And they knocked off some of the Vancouver’s best teams along the way.
They advanced to the Coastal Cup and were able to host two playoff games before eventually falling out in the quarter finals. All in all, their season was a success, and their improvement over the season, remarkable.
The journey of a rep soccer team from the Sunshine Coast requires incredible patience by all those involved.
Long-term success demands a blend of passion and enjoyment for the game, hard work, dedication, and persistence in the face of losses and other hardships, which can keep adding up in the early years.
But this team models grit and determination, joy and pride, and a multitude of positive characteristics necessary for the long haul. As a result, this team is now beginning to reap rewards equal to the quality of their character.
It’s easy to start a winner; much harder to learn to become a winner. And the teams that persist and overcome adversity, like the U15 Boys’ Storm—look out.
