Things have been rolling right along for the U13 Premier 2 Morden Eagles boys club and their head coach Jim Enns believes the best is yet to come.
Before getting into the play of late, Enns reflected on the start of the season and how the team faced some adversity that ended up bringing them together. "I mean, it was a difficult start as we started in winter and the players needed to get to know each other. It takes time learning how to deal with each other. Slowly over time, we focused on trying to make a team. Getting them to play for each other and we've seen big changes that way. It's been very positive."
At the U13 age level, Enns says it's been pretty special to see the team buy in and find that belief in themselves and each other. "I think that all of them are passionate about soccer. Lots of them watch it, whether it's Premier League or Champions League, that's really good to see. But, they still needed quite a bit of coaching. They are at an age that is between being a child and being a pre-teen. Some of them have learned being professional as their practicing and as they're playing. It's been good to see them stop being a little kid all the time and take it seriously, train hard and to play hard, to use their body physically as they're playing. That's been the biggest growth I've seen."
The physical side and the strategy is one area but Enns says they've placed a big focus on the mental side of the game, as well. "That's been interesting as well. Some of the kids are learning to lose and sometimes bad, as some of those Winnipeg teams are quite strong. But also, learning how to win, that new level of excitement when you earn a victory. Mentally, it almost takes as a coach, you talk to each individual player on a one-on-one basis and you learn what their personalities are like. Some guys might need more coaching that way while others are relaxed. No matter what, it all takes work."
Recently, the team took part in the big Boston Pizza Tournament and Enns details how the group managed to do. "We did very well. We went into Winnipeg, played there and we won our first game 3-0. We played really strong against Hanover and it was an excellent game. The next day it was really hot, we went up against the team that ended up winning. We were up 1-0 in the first half then went down 2-1 in the middle of the second half. Right at the end, they scored a few goals so we ended up losing 5-1, but we played a very strong game for most of it. We were supposed to play another game but the smoke meant we had to go to penalties to see who would win and we scored on all five of our penalty kicks and won 5-4. That put us back in the finals against that same very strong team, we lost 7-1. We just didn't have the energy and they were deep and strong, but it was a great tournament."
While the last result wasn't what they hoped for, Enns says where they got to play will be a lasting memory. "We got to play in the Bomber stadium," he says proudly. "The kids had a great time there and it was something they'll remember, that's for sure."
Coming together as a group, celebrating the highs and embracing the lows is something Enns has noticed and couldn't be prouder of. "I think that some of them have formed life long friendships. Even guys who might have clashed in the beginning, they're starting to understand each other. They're all becoming friends. There's bonds being formed and it's really great to see."
The Eagles resume the regular season and will look to keep building towards playoffs.