Sami Luinenburg (centre) from the Osoyoos Rattlers senior girls soccer team, tries to elude tacklers during tournament action this past weekend at the OSS soccer fields. (Dale Cory photo)
Head coach George Mocci and assistant coach Steve Schulting have a daunting task ahead of them.
The two teachers at Osoyoos Secondary School are in charge of the girls soccer program.
Unlike many coaches, they can’t recruit – other than trying to convince girls currently attending OSS to come out and play for their high school soccer team.
In many ways, they have to play the cards they have been dealt – without any chance of drawing from the deck and improving.
“You know, at the beginning of the year, it was pretty tough. We lost a bunch of Grade 11 and Grade 12 players from last year who were pivotal parts to our team,” explained Mocci in between games of the Desert Classic high school soccer tournament, held last Friday and Saturday on the OSS soccer pitches. “For the most part we’ve had to rebuild. And rebuilding has meant going right from the grassroots – Grade 8s and Grade 10s, and a couple of Grade 11s. Steve and I have been talking, and we feel it’s about building for the next year and even the following year. You kind of keep that in perspective and I think that’s the most important thing – so, don’t be disappointed when things don’t turn out.
“Hopefully, you see it as a building block and that’s how we are approaching the whole year.”
A coach always wants a fine mix of veterans and youth, with expectations of leadership coming from the older players.
In the case of the Osoyoos high school girls’ soccer team, Mocci only has three Grade 11s to lead the team, although, he has seen many of the younger players develop important leadership skills.
“You know, our greatest success has been where the whole team has acted like a team. There are those pivotal kids – and everyone knows who they are – but at the same time, it’s about everybody grinding and doing the best they can in the positions that they’re playing. It’s not about one or two players leading anymore. It’s more about the whole team. Our greatest success has been when the whole team plays as a team. Even this last game, it was fantastic to see our goalie, a Grade 8 girl who has played minor soccer, but has never played at this level, come out and start to become a little bit more aggressive and assertive in the way she’s playing her position. It’s fantastic to see. That’s been our greatest success, just seeing the little success stories every game.”
Happy to see the team’s youth stepping up, Mocci has also watched the returning veterans play important roles in early season success.
Mocci indicates the Rattlers won’t likely rack up a lot of goals, but is counting on solid defence to win games.
“We’re a grinding team. It can very much depend on the day. If we can play the way we typically do, which is a good grinding team putting pressure on the ball, we will have a chance,” he said.
“I think the teams we’re going to be playing – Oliver, Keremeos, and Princeton – it’s all about being able to pressure the play. If we can do that, I think we can be quite successful, considering who we are. We’re not reaching for the stars, but I think it’s achievable.”
The Osoyoos girls finished with first in the B Flight at the Desert Classic tournament, finishing with three wins and a loss – and beating Stanley Humphries Secondary, Oliver and Guildford Park.
Osoyoos was in Oliver yesterday (Tuesday), and will host Keremeos in a league game Tuesday, Apr. 28 at OSS.
DALE CORY
Special to the Times
