The Anna Maria Island Sun Newspaper

Vol. 15 No. 13 - January 21, 2015

sports

Saint Stephen's soccer benefits from Island talent

Anna Maria Island Sun News Story

monica simpson | submitted

From left, Tony Rappold, Paul "Ace" Hayward, Grayson Chatt,
Jack Groves, Alex Rodriguez, Josh Class, Dylan Joseph,
Jack Barnes, David Daigle and Sean Rodriguez. Jim Class is not pictured.

For so many young boys, the Anna Maria Island Community Center is the backdrop for their first experiences on the soccer field. The Center’s recreational league was exactly this for 10 special young men who are now proudly wearing green and gold for the Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School Falcons middle school boy’s soccer team.

Under the coaching expertise of Anna Maria Island resident Paul Hayward, these players, who have their roots in the Island sand, had a spectacular season this winter. Leading this year’s team were Dylan Joseph, Josh Class and Alex Rodriguez. These three eighth-graders were team captains for Saint Stephen’s and were seen as the players to emulate by the sixth graders new to the team. Jack Groves and Jim Cass proudly represented the seventh grade to help the team to its success. The strength of the sixth-graders who joined the team this year came from Jack Barnes, Sean Rodriguez, David Daigle, Tony Rappold and Grayson Chatt. All of these boys have or still play soccer at the Community Center.

Hayward led the team of 38 players from the Manatee County area, including the 10 Islanders. Because of the immense interest in middle school soccer, two teams were created at Saint Stephen’s for the boys. The A Team comprised the more seasoned athletes and the B Team provided just the right coaching environment to develop the younger or less experienced boys to one day take over the starting roles for the team. Hayward was assisted by Saint Stephen’s coach and teacher Blake Hoonhout. Hoonhout, a former Florida State University club soccer player, and Hayward trained the middle school players five days a week.

The growth of middle school soccer for the boys at Saint Stephen’s started when Hayward was brought on by the school five years ago to build the program. This team compliments the powerful Saint Stephen’s varsity boy’s program under the direction of Marc Jones. said, “Five seasons ago I had 14 kids who were more like the Bad New Bears kids. So I told them to come back tomorrow if they wanted to become a real soccer team, and they all changed. Now we have the largest sports program at the school as middle school boys soccer with 38 players.”

The team’s season came to a close Friday night, with a record of 10-3-0. The boys went undefeated in district play, scoring a record 51 goals and only allowing 13. The top scorer was Joseph with 14 goals and 10 assists. The school’s record for boy’s middle school soccer over the past five years since Hayward joined the program now stands at 35-17-1. His goal is to get more of the players involved in club soccer. Amazingly, of the 38 players, only two currently play club soccer.

“If we get more club players, we can compete with the bigger Tampa Bay schools where every kid also plays club ball.” Haywardsaid. “It is hard to play only three months a year and take nine months off and expect to play soccer at higher levels such as varsity and NCAA.”

Hayward, creator of the 11ManGang™ brand, has nine seasons of NCAA coaching experience including a national finalist team. He was mentored by one of America’s top clinicians, Graham Ramsey, under The Soccer School, and had an all-America/South playing career under Dr. John Cunningham, one of most successful soccer coaches in NCAA history. Hayward was inducted into the Bethany College Hall of Fame and was named to the 60-year anniversary of PAC Small College All-Time Soccer Team.

Originally from Canada, Hayward made the Island his home several years ago. He is known for bringing his playing and coaching talents to Anna Maria by playing adult co-ed soccer at the Community Center and holding soccer camps for the kids. Hayward will be bringing his training academy back for private training sessions and small camps beginning with a spring break camp.

So what is next for these marvelous boys? Three of them will be moving up at St. Stephen’s and leaving middle school play – the team will be losing a total of 16 players to high school play. Their talents will only improve and strengthen the current junior varsity and varsity teams.

Perhaps a repeat of this strong winter season will be in the future for the remaining middle school seven players. These Island boys could be part of one of the nation’s top soccer coaching teams with Jones, Tim Mulqueen, Eric Howell and Hayward, with a goal to make Saint Stephen’s a nationally known and respected school soccer program.


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