This soccer season, Kent has a new coach: Mr. Fitzsimmons, who has been a soccer coach for thirty years. Although it is definitely a challenging season for the team – they have only won one game this season – according to Mr. Fitzsimmons, these soccer athletes always have positive attitudes. “The results have not been so good,” Mr. Fitzsimmons said. “But the boys have determination. They never give up and keep fighting.”

At the beginning of this season, Mr. Fitzsimmons was surprised at how out of shape the boys were. “These young men were expecting an easy ride, but it’s not,” Mr. Fitzsimmons said seriously. 

Coach Fitzsimmons mentioned that the most unforgettable game in this season was the one against Choate. The boys mastered the game plan, and the score was 0-0 at half time. “That felt like victory, and the boys celebrated it,” Mr. Fitzsimmons explained. “For me, to actually see them celebrate and be happy was very memorable. Although it was only half time, they went really hard the whole season, so they deserve that moment which brought them together.”

The goal of this season is to be competitive. However, Mr. Fitzsimmons is confident that the team is getting more competitive compared to last year. For example, Choate beat us 9-0, but this year it was only 3-0, and they only scored in the second half. “Our goal is to be better than what we were last year. Next year we will be better than this year. Keep improving, step by step,” Mr. Fitzsimmons concluded.

On the other hand, Mr. Fitzsimmons does believe the Varsity Soccer team has the potential to win more games. “Just be better prepared. We need to adapt more of the scenarios such as the weather, position, and injuries,” Mr. Fitzsimmons said.

Finally, Coach Fitzsimmons wanted to tell his team that this high school journey is only a small part of their life journey, so just embrace it, enjoy it, give everything they have, and find out about themselves in this journey. “You can experience celebrating highs and solving lows,” Mr. Fitzsimmons said. “Soccer is a great way to find out who you are as an individual and a great way to come together as a form of team.”