Senior Soccer Players Embrace New Season

Charlotte Catholic encourages students to connect across all grade levels and encourages positivity throughout the soccer community. This year, the seniors on the men’s varsity soccer team -as well as their families-  have gone above and beyond to connect the entire team and really make it a positive and inclusive community. 

#5 Danny Kelly, who plays defense, sincerely views the team as one big family. As a senior, he is aware of his responsibilities to be a good role-model and achieves it very well. Danny has a funny habit, where he gets hurt every game. Despite the other team playing dirty and kicking out his legs so often, Danny handles his injuries very well by getting back up, seeking medical attention, then going to continue being a great defense. There is a lot of room in team sports for bad sportsmanship and Danny really sets the standard for underclassmen by example in games and even during practice.

#31 Padriag McPhillips, who plays defense, shows care for his teammates through his view of the team, claiming “It’s all like brotherhood, the underclassmen look up to us, like big brothers”. It is easy to see a raw familial bond through the boys’ positive interactions and inclusive behavior, despite them all having different interests. Especially, when other teams play dirty, like how “when Rocky River unnecessarily kicked Danny, later in the game I just floored them.” Padraig is not afraid to stand up for his teammates, “they’re gonna keep playing dirty so you gotta put them in their place” ensuring they do not pick on other cougars during/after the game. Padraig’s final words for the Catholic Chronicle were “Direct quote, this team is gonna go to states; and win.”

#10 Keane LoCasio, who plays forward, is a very strong member of the team. He shows his dexterity in-game when he is able to out-maneuver any player, seemingly with ease. Keane believes that the soccer team is able to really connect through shared interest and activities outside of schools. The soccer team trusts in each other and communicates in a very healthy way, even when the game is going wrong for the cougars, they get up and “try to rally in the moment, we will yell at eachother, but not in a degrading way” to motivate each other to finish strong.

The families of the Charlotte Catholic soccer community also play a big role in team engagement and inclusion. It is very hard to tell who is which player’s parents, as the adults treat the entire team as one big family, cheering for every player throughout the game. With positive attitudes, the families of the players attend every game, regardless of weather or time. Not only are the parents enthusiastic about the players, but also show great respect for the game itself. Despite my lack of knowledge on soccer, the parents huddled around me and explained every aspect of the game to me. The positivity of the families was infectious, from cheers and chants for every win, to words of encouragement towards players that got injured in-game!

All three boys are very different yet ideal role models for any youth, as well as their families. Not only does the team view each other with love and respect, but they also show each other how to grow as a person and a player. Their example will surely foundation more brotherhood and positivity, even after they graduate.

Seniors Danny Kelly (left), Padraig McPhillips (center), and Keane LoCasio (right), pose for a photo after a game.