2016 Delbarton Soccer: A Season of Succisa Virescit – A Message From the Captain

This year’s Delbarton Soccer team may have fallen short of its lofty goals to match the success of the varsity soccer teams of the past four years—four consecutive state championships. Because we lost both the county final and Non-Public A North final in penalty kicks in a spectacular, heart-breaking fashion, some may regard the season as disappointing. Wave Soccer did, however, accomplish some incredible feats along the way: winning the NJAC United conference, only conceding one goal in all of our conference games, and reaching the Non-Public A North final for the seventh year in a row, as well as the county final for the sixth straight year.

Regardless, the focus on winning titles overshadows the true joy of playing soccer for Delbarton. From August to November, each day we have the opportunity to play the beautiful game of soccer with our closest friends. In these enjoyable moments, whether it is joking around in the locker room, playing World Cup and other shooting games during practice, or uniting in a competitive victory over rivals, the definition of brotherhood is truly manifested—each teammate on the soccer team is always there to support one another. We also enjoy arguably the nicest soccer field and facilities in New Jersey. Overlooking the bright oranges and fiery reds of the trees during autumn, the Delbarton varsity soccer field provides its players with one of the most majestic views on the Delbarton campus. Finally, Delbarton soccer is an educational experience, as we refine our understanding of the intangibles of perseverance, leadership, and teamwork in the face and form of obstacles that no one outside of the team would believe or imagine.

This year especially, we learned resilience and how to bounce back from adversity. After enjoying some crucial victories over our opponents in the first couple of games, we hosted the Delbarton Invitational. Unfortunately, we lost both games, followed by a tough loss to Delran in the next match. After the losses and a harsh, but seemingly necessary, reprimand from the coaches, we realized we needed to change our behavior. We met as a team to discuss what each of us individually could do to change our habits and improve the team’s results. We made a commitment to each other to work harder, support each other more, and dedicate ourselves to the team more. The majority of us united to a greater degree and pushed each other in practice while still helping each other. Fr. Michael, our team chaplain, also proved to be a significant resource during this difficult period. Our efforts paid off, as we rebounded from adversity and convincingly won the next two matches over Morris Catholic in the first round of the Morris County Tournament (MCT) and over our rival Chatham on Senior Day. After several more team victories (in games like the MCT semifinal vs. a tough Mendham side) we stumbled again–this time in the MCT final. While devastating, our compassion for one another emerged in this difficult time, which only helped us rebound from the traumatic loss. We did not blame others but instead built each other up and encouraged one another. And such compassion and brotherhood united us for the next challenge: States. Facing a difficult route, we employed our brotherhood and camaraderie to convincingly defeat Pingry and the number one seed Bergen Catholic.

Unfortunately our season ended on a low note, with a loss in PKs to Seton Hall Prep. Yet again, however, each of us extended the compassion and care we hold for our teammates to cheer us up after such a tough way to end the season. And that’s what Delbarton soccer is all about. We’re a band of brothers who are always there to support each other–to help each other to bounce back from difficult times when we’re cut down, so that we can grow back even stronger.