As the ball bounces off the goalie’s hands the fans fall silent. The team rushes the goal as the ball ricochets off the post and into the back of the net. Sweat drips off sophomore leading Midfielder Can Lu’s face as the team charges him after he scores the winning goal.

The school’s new JV Boys Head Coach Matt Travis and his team ended this season with a final record of 6-1-3. And, although Travis and the team hoped for a better final outcome,these changes in the team’s infrastructure, as well as the new leadership seem to have boosted player morale and increased effort among players.

“With a new head coach the team is serious when needed but fun at the same time. I have learned more from Coach Travis than I have on my club soccer team,” freshman Stefan Mina said.

Coach Travis is not a new face to our soccer program. He was a volunteer assistant for two seasons under Varsity Head Coach Eric Blackmore. And, as a former Beach FC and Virginia Olympic Development Program State Team player, Travis uses his past experiences and expertise to enhance the team’s performance.

By taking on this coaching position, Travis hopes to be a role model for his players and teach them something new everyday.

“Being on this team has been a great experience. Coach Travis uses constructive criticism that pushes me to succeed,” Lu said.

In order to improve on the past and keep alignment with the varsity team, Travis begins practice by focusing on technical training to create a sound foundation for a well developed team. Practices are designed to build skills and learn how to improve from errors in previous games. Building a team that has fun, and stays positive was the team’s goal for the season.

“It has been a fun year with a good group of boys. They gave 100% in every game and practice,” Travis said. “That’s all I could ask for.”