Built tougher to last longer - Coach-imposed adversity strengthens young team

By Brendan Hall, Globe Correspondent  |  June 25, 2009

In other circles of club-level soccer, when the temperature starts to dip below freezing, players might have the luxury of taking their practice sessions indoors.

Suiting up for the Boston-based FC Blazers U-17 squad, a trio of local teens - Max Roche of Medway and Medfield residents Keith Bennett and Danny Richman - weren't so fortunate; they roughed it in the frigid outdoors.

Their coach, Francis Okaroh, also a men's assistant on the Boston University staff, had other options, but they didn't produce the same benefits as far as he was concerned.

So, during the cold, bitter winter months - sometimes, even, through sleet and snow - the former New England Revolution defender had his players practicing at a high intensity three times a week, 90 minutes at a clip, out on the FieldTurf at Nickerson Field. This included the dreaded 7 a.m. Sunday sessions.

"It's definitely character-building. Sometimes, you don't want to be there,'' said Roche, who will serve as a team captain at Medway High this fall.

"It'll be a Friday night in the winter, and you'll be there at 10:30 at night. It's snowing, it's sleeting, and you're wondering 'what are we doing here?' Then we start playing, and it's all relative. It's a strange feeling, but I like it.''

Richman added, "I think this gave us good discipline, getting up early, the hard work everyone has put in. I think we've worked harder than any other team this year.''

Few will argue with the team's success since those winter sessions.

The Blazers traveled to a tournament in Phoenix on Presidents' Day weekend, the Del Sol Presidente tourney, and promptly won two of three games against teams stocked with Division 1 talent. FC eventually bowed out in the quarterfinals to the Pennsylvania-based Lower Merion Velez - the top-ranked U-17 squad in Region 1 - after surrendering three second-half goals, two on penalty kicks.

Many consider that weekend the club's turning point, after some moderate success late in the fall.

Anchored by one of the state's most suffocating back lines, the Blazers went on a tear this last month in the State Cup. They didn't allow a goal in their final three games, winning the U-17 championship over Western United, 2-0, on June 14.

The Blazers move on to the National Championship Series Region 1 playoffs in Barboursville, W.V., which run from July 2-7.

Quite a rapid rise for a new squad.

Okaroh, a native of Enugu, Nigeria, formed the club two years ago after breaking away from another club. Attracting players from Worcester to Boston to southern New Hampshire, it's a diverse group, yet still quite familiar with one another.

"We all have a common goal - to be the best that we can be,'' said Bennett, who will be a captain at Medfield High this fall. "We all sacrifice a lot for this team.''

"When people believe in one goal,'' said Okaroh, "it's very easy to connect. Most of my teams are teams that absolutely love soccer.''

It should come as no surprise, though, that Okaroh likes to build his squads from the back line up - he was twice named the Revolution's Defender of the Year during his pro career.

Led by its two captains and centre backs - Stratham, N.H.'s James Holler and Chris Perkins of St. John's Prep - the defenders are aggressive in their pursuit over the back third.

"They are the leaders. They've played in a lot of big games,'' Okaroh said.

Noted Bennett, "They make everything easy for us. They calm us down. It's a great feeling knowing they've got our back out there, they're going to hold down the fort.''

Bennett, Roche, and Richman are three pieces of a unique rotation in the offensive third. The goal is not to push the ball, trying to take as many chances on net, but rather to outlast the defense. With a slew of cross passes, players make a move on goal only when they feel an opponent has been worn down.

"We don't have one single person that sparks it,'' Roche said. "It's a whole team effort. We pass extremely well, that's how we get everything.''

That isn't a slow-down scheme. Okaroh's plan is about constant motion, a philosophy he has hammered into his program since those first training sessions in the August heat. Practices are feverishly uptempo, with emphasis on conditioning and passing.

Okaroh has been known to crack a smile. But when he's focused, the players listen.

And boy, do they savor his word. Some, like Roche, consider him the best coach they have ever had.

"I teach from my experiences [as a player] and my life experiences,'' Okaroh said. "I let them know that to be the best, you have to work hard at it. Those are life lessons. You can't take anything for granted.''

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