By Jared Sage
Sports at LREI have long taken a back seat to other extracurricular activities, such as creative performances, but this year’s varsity boys soccer team is changing that script. They have won more games than in past seasons, and while the size of the team may be irregular, the players are able to function well as a unit.
Through hard work, dedication, and the total commitment of his players, coach Rohan Cassells has helped to change the narrative of sports at LREI. This is Cassells’ fourth year as the head coach of the boys soccer team, a team that has had some success, though not on a consistent basis.
His first years at LREI were rough, Cassells said. “My first year here we were just under .500, which was actually good for LREI back then,” he said. “You could see there was room for growth. I could tell there were kids who really wanted to play as well as other good players who didn’t commit to the team because it wasn’t cohesive enough, wasn’t strong enough.” In the beginning of his tenure that was how the soccer program had performed. “Over time, however, things started to improve. We finished .500 my second year, and we knew we started to develop more as a team. In my third year we were already third in the conference, and now we’re leading the league.”
Cassells credits most of his success to his system, his ability to get players working as a unit instead of several moving parts. “As a coach you go in trying to put a good system in place,” he said. “The players are really important but you need to get the system running, before you can get a really strong team.” By establishing a solid foundation, he has been able to shift his focus from developing players to winning games and creating ongoing success.
While the team may have an excellent record, winning the ISAL league, their success has not come easily. As the coach at LREI, Cassells must accept all players who try out for his team, a facet of LREI sports that sometimes provokes frustration among players. “In games, and more in practices it can be frustrating playing with freshman and sophomores who really don’t understand what they are doing.” With 34 players coming from different soccer backgrounds it can be difficult for Cassells to rotate his players, but Cassells has found a way to deal with this issue. “I see the players who may not have the soccer technique and pull them out and have my stronger players practice, and off to the side have some of the less experienced players do the same drill but understand that they may need more time.” Cassells believes that separating players at the two ends of the spectrum gives both groups a better ability to develop the specific skills that they need.
Cassells realizes how his beginning players may feel, but insists that the players take a larger view of the situation. “I make them realize it’s team first, that we are all individuals, and only as a team can we move forward. You can see some kids’ morale go down, and I will pull them aside and have a small talk but there is only so much that I can do. This is a learning experience that all players must go through.” His compassion for his players, and his coaching technique are the reasons for their success.
The team prides itself on its passion and the edge the players exhibit during games as well as practice. “You have to work hard to earn playing time,” standout junior Miles Dorsey says. “We are focused on playing hard and giving it our all, at all moments, playing with heart and passion.” Their spirit is the defining characteristic of the team. This quality of giving one’s all regardless of the results is what earns a player recognition. “What happens is that any kid who sits on the bench will get hungry. He’ll want to go in, and want to contribute,” Cassells says. Hunger is just the starting point. “I get them to focus and watch and learn. From that I can tell if a kid wants to play. Even if you may not be ready I can see when you want to play.” This is the main quality that Cassells seeks from his players. He doesn’t care how much soccer they may have played, or how skilled they are; he just wants to see a competitive drive and a desire to help the team.
LREI prides itself on giving all kids a chance to partake in something that is bigger than themselves, a principle at the heart of sports teams. The school’s philosophy has the potential to produce a non-competitive team, but so far has not affected Cassells and his players. “I want to teach and coach, and so for any kid who wants to do that I’m willing to take them in and teach them this great sport.”