SLEEPY HOLLOW – Faith Brown still is volunteering with an EMT service, putting in three hours each week to fulfill a pledge she made in March.
That’s in addition, of course, to her lacrosse obligations, which include competing in a New Balance All-America tournament later in July. There is also a scheduled gathering at the University of Pennsylvania, welcoming the recent women’s lacrosse commits for what essentially will be an orientation scrimmage.
“Well,” Brown said with a grin, “I’m gonna have six days to myself in early August.”
She said that during a water break while competing with a slew of her Pleasantville High School soccer teammates earlier this month.
Soccer for her is a secondary sport, and the rising senior already has her collegiate path mapped out, along with several auxiliary responsibilities, so there would’ve been plenty of valid excuses for her not to join them in the summer heat.
“But I love this!” Brown said while on the field at Sleepy Hollow High School. “Being around my teammates, playing soccer and getting better at it, this is what I want to be doing.”
That was the pervading sentiment among the players and coaches, their passion for the sport superseding any inconvenience, and it was the impetus in establishing the Westchester Girls Soccer High School Summer League.
The three-week tournament that began June 22 was the first of its kind in this area. It drew 12 local teams for twice weekly 7-on-7 matches, serving almost as a fitness and skills development minicamp, and was a prelude to the high school preseason in late August.
“This was three years in the making, and we modeled it after the Lakeland boys summer league,” Pleasantville girls soccer coach Tony Portera said. “We wanted to give the girls an opportunity like the boys have.”
The boys soccer summer league, founded by Lakeland coach Tim Hourahan, has grown exponentially in its 19 years and become a premier month-long tournament, involving several of the best teams in Section 1. Players have spoken for years about its benefits, particularly the tactical work and getting an early jump on building chemistry with teammates.
Ardsley, Briarcliff, Croton-Harmon, Eastchester, Horace Greeley, Mount Vernon, Pelham, Pleasantville, Rye Neck, Sleepy Hollow, Valhalla and Westlake were the participating girls teams.
“The girls are getting to compete on school-based teams and against some local opponents in their (classification), but in a laid-back setting without the pressure,” said former Sleepy Hollow coach Anthony Patierno, who worked with Portera and the Sleepy Hollow booster club to help organize the event.
Given the structure of this tournament, and the 7-on-7 template, goals were placed on the sidelines and the field ran widthwise. That allowed two matches to run simultaneously, while also reducing the playable field length to 60 yards. With reduced space, Portera explained, there is greater emphasis on short-distance passing and a reliance on each of the field players to advance the ball.
“It’s a great concept, and it’ll help our team a lot,” said Elle McManus, who plays wing back for Croton-Harmon. “It’s a chance to improve our touches, work on give-and-go plays, get us moving around the ball. In the season, when we’re on a bigger pitch with more people, it’ll feel a little easier.”
How they kicked this off
Portera used to help coach Lakeland summer league, and he long believed that it was feasible to host a similar event for local girls. He attempted in recent years to get this league started, but the limited availability of fields within reasonable distance, and the facilities to accommodate everyone, proved to be an obstacle.
Patierno eventually helped clear that hurdle, setting up the nonprofit Westchester High School Girls Soccer League Association and working alongside Sleepy Hollow administrators and its booster club to provide resources and the use of its fields.
Once the infrastructure began falling into place, they contacted other coaches to gauge interest.
“At the end of last season, (Portera) told me about the idea and I loved it,” Pelham coach Campbell Fee said. “Usually during the summer, our teams will have captain’s practices and small scrimmages. It’s nice as a coach to have some time with your players in the offseason, see them compete against teams in our section, and meet the girls who’ll be trying out (for varsity) in August.”
Players were informed of the league and its schedule in the spring. Some were unable to join because of already-planned family trips, summer jobs or other athletic commitments. But many of them eagerly accepted the offer.
The last few weeks have brought some afternoons with scorching temperatures and others with heavy precipitation. The heat index prompted delays and even the postponement of some sessions, but the rainy days did little to dampen them.
Even during a steady downpour, there still was the usual cacophony of sounds — instructions being shouted, teammates giving direction to each other while in action and laughter from the sidelines. That, Portera said, “speaks volumes” about the players’ dedication.
“In my experience as a player, and now coaching, in order to get better at soccer, you have to play it,” said Eastchester coach Hannah Sullivan, whose upstart team reached the Class A sectional quarterfinals last fall. “I always tell my girls to relish those opportunities to play, even if it’s 4-(versus)-4. Any setup where you’re able to emulate elements of the game is helpful.”
Patierno said the league and its nonprofit association serve a dual purpose, with the goal of raising enough funding and support to eventually host specialized training and minicamps for local players whose families can’t afford private coaches or high-level club teams.
Getting a kick out of it
One of the pluses here in contrast to club soccer, Fee said, is that players compete outside their age group. An underclassman hopeful of a varsity promotion can get a preview of what it will be like facing older and, perhaps, more skilled players.
“Soccer is big in my family, and I want to participate in as many offseason things as I can,” said Emma Perry, an incoming freshman at Pleasantville who played alongside her older sister, Maddie, last fall. “Not just the skills work, but I think I’ve gotten better as a leader. Some of the girls here are younger than me or haven’t gotten to varsity yet, so I’m in a position where I can teach a little, which is different for me.”
Several players also lauded the 7-on-7 setup, explaining the format forces a utilization of footwork, instincts and precision, through which some good habits can develop. Also, because of its fast pace on a shortened field, more shots than usual are generated, thus testing frequently the range and reaction of the goalkeepers.
“You have to be more tactical and smarter with your passes,” said Jordan Becker, a Croton-Harmon midfielder. “There’s way less space to dribble and go one-on-one, so you have to work with your teammates to move the ball. Those things can definitely carry over into the season.”
Becker’s family is vacationing to Croatia in a couple weeks, but she didn’t hesitate to join when this league was first mentioned to her.
Olivia Parker works in Pelham as a camp counselor with a shift running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., giving the rising senior just enough time to get from there to Sleepy Hollow for warmups. It did make for some long, tiring days.
“It’s tough, but it’s worth it,” she insisted. “Our team is on the younger side, so it’s good to get in some early work with the freshmen and sophomores; start building that connection. Getting a better feel for how each other play, and being out here improving our conditioning, that can only help us in the fall. I’m glad we did this.”
Stephen Haynes covers sports for The Journal News/lohud.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: First Westchester girls soccer summer league draws rave reviews
Reporting by Stephen Haynes, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
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By Stephen Haynes, Rockland/Westchester Journal News | USA TODAY Network
