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Program Structure 

Coach Jonny Bonner has developed a structured mentorship approach that pairs each player from the 2015 Navy Girls Team with a mentor from the 2010 Navy Team. This program offers 1-on-1 peer mentorship that extends beyond the field to include personal development, strategic thinking, and a deeper understanding of the game itself. These sessions are designed to allow players to form bonds that transcend age and experience levels. A key component of the program is that both teams mutually support each other’s matches and the players cheer for each other, strengthening team bonds across age groups.

Impact on Players and Performance

New England Surf is deeply committed to nurturing a high-performance environment that extends beyond traditional training methods. Our mentorship program is a testament to this commitment, offering young athletes a unique blend of support, guidance, and real-world soccer insights that are pivotal for both personal and athletic growth. Through this initiative, players not only improve their technical skills and tactical understanding but also learn to embody resilience, leadership, and teamwork—qualities essential for excelling in competitive soccer and life. 

Are you ready to elevate your game? Join our community and experience firsthand how our innovative approaches, including mentorship and coaching philosophy, develop the ‘Best of the Best’ in youth soccer! Click the link to learn more.

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From the outset, Coach Kyle Bak instilled a philosophy centered around growth through both the wins and lessons learned from losses. “From the moment I joined, we talked about winning and learning,” Coach Bak explains. “If the result wasn’t in our favor, we aimed to find a few key takeaways from each match to build on.” This mindset has deeply integrated into the team, fostering a culture where players actively engage in their development process, which has started to yield significant rewards.

Adapting to Player Departures

The team faced challenges with key players moving on to MLS academies. This transition was pivotal, allowing the remaining and returning players to find and embrace new roles, significantly affecting the team dynamics. “The departure of two major players gave others the chance to step up, enhancing our team chemistry and empowering players to own their mistakes and grow from them,” Coach Bak notes.

Player-Driven Culture

A crucial aspect of the team’s success is its player-driven culture, which was established through the introduction of non-negotiable standards by the players themselves. The coaching staff reinforces these standards daily, ensuring that the culture is not only maintained but strengthened, promoting a greater sense of responsibility and cohesion among the players.

Team Non-Negotiables:

• Take responsibility for your mistakes and learn from them. Don’t blame others for what you have done wrong.
• Team before me
• Never let our teammates down
• Train with a mentality that we want to improve
• Always put full effort in no matter the circumstances

Tournament Highlights and Team Growth

The team’s strategic approach to tournaments has been crucial in their recent successes. After a structured mini preseason in January, the team focused on building their capabilities and cohesion. “We stress the importance of staying in the moment, and each tournament game is approached with a clear strategy to advance,” Coach Bak recounts. Their disciplined approach helped them secure a long-awaited victory at the Copa Youngers, overcoming past hurdles in final games and demonstrating significant growth.

This growth was evident when the team was able to secure come from behind wins against teams like IFA and CT Rush in critical tournament matches which showcased their ability to compete, regardless of the score, until the final whistle. These moments are not just about securing wins but are a testament to the team unity and competitive spirit within the team.

Future Outlook

As the B2010 State Navy looks to the future, the foundations laid over the past two years are just the beginning. With a culture centered on growth, resilience, and strategic play, the team is well-positioned for continued success in the regional & national competitive landscape of youth soccer.

At New England Surf, we’re dedicated to continuous growth and development. We offer a culture that fosters accountability, resilience, and a thirst for learning. If you’re a talented player who wants to push your limits, be part of a supportive community, and compete at the highest level, then New England Surf is the place for you. Click here to learn more.

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That’s New England Surf. We’re more than just an elite soccer program- we’re a community where dedication and passion meet unrivaled expertise. We develop players, nurture their skills, fuel their ambition, and guide them towards achieving their athletic and academic dreams.

Train Like a Pro: Personalized Development

Train on our state-of-the-art facilities where every session and each drill is meticulously crafted and strategically planned – all designed to push you to your limits and unlock your true potential. Train alongside dedicated athletes who share your passion for the game. At New England Surf, we believe in personalized development. 

Our dedicated coaches, many with collegiate experience themselves, become your mentors. They’ll craft training plans that cater to your strengths and address your weaknesses, pushing you to become the best player you can be, both on and off the field.

Your Success is Our Priority

Our schedules are planned months in advance, always keeping you informed and organized. We ensure all changes and training plans are available to participating players, coaches, and families, ensuring everyone works towards shared goals.

Your future matters and that is why we’re committed to college success. With an impressive track record of over 90 alumni placed in college programs since 2021, we provide guidance and support throughout the college selection process, helping you find the perfect program to launch your academic and athletic careers.

A Winning Tradition

Championships are a reality at New England Surf.  Multiple DPL National and USYS Regionals Championships, as well as a string of MA State Cup wins, solidify our place as a powerhouse in youth soccer.  But beyond the trophies, there’s the unyielding champion spirit that makes being part of the Surf family special.

Expert Coaching Staff

Our coaching staff is the heart of New England Surf. With over 10 college coaches, their expertise is at your fingertips.  They’re not just there to train you, they’re there to inspire you, challenge you, and ensure you know what it will take to get to the next level.

Join the New England Surf Family

This is a family. Here, you’ll find teammates who become lifelong friends, coaches who become mentors, and a support system that empowers you to reach your true potential. Are you ready to write your own soccer story?  Become part of a winning tradition.  Join New England Surf today and see how we can help you reach your full potential. Click the link here to start your story today!

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Our youngest team represented at the event was our G2009 Navy. They started the weekend with a tough 2-0 loss to Triangle United, but bounced back with a 2-1 victory over Pinecrest Premier Soccer the following day. To finish the weekend the team made a statement in their 10-0 W over Albion SC Idaho. The girls won their bracket with 12 goals for and only 3 allowed. 

In the U16 division, both our G2008 Navy and Sky attended the event. Our Navy team tied their first two games 2-2 against high-level clubs (Charlotte SA and Pinecrest Premier) from a losing position. They finished the weekend as champions of their bracket with a 3-1 W against Arkansas Comets FC. Sofia Sibella scored both goals in a 2-2 tie vs. Pinecrest and finished the weekend with 4 goals. Coach Tim Mason was very happy with the weekend, “A really positive undefeated weekend for an injury ravaged team. The girls showed great character in the first two games to come back from losing positions to get a tie, playing some great attacking soccer in the process. We won the last game comfortably despite the monsoon conditions, and overall the team played on the front foot and looked to be positive in possession at all times.”

The G2008 Sky took on two local teams in the first two games of the showcase. The first game ended in a 3-3 draw against the West Florida Flames. The girls netted a few great goals from outside the 18 yard box. Their second match was a tough fought battle against Southern Soccer Academy that unfortunately ended in a 4-3 L. The third match was canceled due to the weather. Coach Kayla Steeves was overall very happy with the team’s performance, “We had only a few subs, but the team worked super hard and dealt with adversity extremely well. Overall, it was a great weekend for this group and it was fun to get away and see some different competition!”

In the U17 division, our G2007 Navy team took the title of bracket champions with 2 wins and a tie. They began the weekend with a 1-1 draw against Sunrise Soccer Club. They went on to win their next two games 3-0 vs. Broomfield Soccer Club and 1-0 vs. Triangle United. They ended the weekend with 7 points, leading the group by 3 points. Darren Gallagher, coach of the 2007 girls and Director of the State Girls program said, “It was a really pleasing weekend for New England Surf at the recent DPL Winter Showcase in Tampa. Our teams excelled despite the limited preparation time following the High School Season. We always approach this event as a preseason tournament, so to win the bracket in all age groups is a testament to our players and coaches and bodes well for 2024!”

Our oldest teams in the U19 age group both showed quality performances in Tampa. The G2006 had a great experience playing against top teams and kicked off their season with a boom. They defeated Florida Hawks 4-2 in their opening game, followed by a tough loss to AFC Lightning. They finished the weekend with a 1-1 vs. Mass City F.C., in a familiar match-up. Coach Rob Speed commented on the weekend, “Hats off to our 06 squad! Their stellar performance in the DPL showcase, clinching a win, a tie, and one loss, this highlights a promising beginning for a team that’s finding its rhythm. A fantastic start, and I’m excited to see what they can achieve going forward.”

Finally, our G2005/06 Navy had a stellar weekend. The girls kicked off the showcase with a 8-0 against Triangle United. In their second game, they defeated Pinecrest Premier Soccer 4-1. To top off the weekend, they finished with a 6-0 W against Albion SC Idaho. Emma Darling scored a hat-trick in each game, finishing the weekend with 9 goals and 4 assists from three games. Coach Tim Mason had nothing but good things to say about the team, “Three wins out of three from this group, with 18 goals scored and one conceded. Dominated both sides of the ball in each game and played some excellent soccer throughout the tournament, particularly in an opening 8-0 win.”

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Heading into his sophomore season at Middlebury College, Gavin Randolph (Boston, Mass.) had humble expectations about his role for 2023.

He saw Jordan Saint-Louis leading the Panthers’ attack and an impressive supporting cast providing options, making the NESCAC program not just a regional contender but a national one.

“I didn’t even think I was gonna start (in the 2023 season), honestly,” Randolph told New England Soccer Journal.

Slowly but surely, though, Randolph bought into the idea that he could be a catalyst. And it all came together, ironically, during a 3-0 home win over Tufts in late October. The Jumbos feature his twin brother, Luke Randolph (Boston, Mass.).

“I ended up getting an assist and a goal and it kind of clicked for me there,” Gavin said. “I always thought Tufts was a really good team and I felt like if I can score a goal and get an assist against a team like that, maybe I am this kind of player.”

Randolph ultimately finished with 21 points (8g/5a) in 21 games (20 starts), making him Middlebury’s second-leading scorer. That helped him earn Third Team All-Region honors and a Second Team All-NESCAC spot, rewarding a breakout season for the Milton Academy and New England Surf alum.

It all followed how, as a freshman in 2022, Randolph tallied four points (1g/2a) in 17 games (one start) as he adjusted to the collegiate level. Asked about what changed, head coach Alex Elias (Manchester Center, Vt.) points to “earned confidence and production” as two determining factors.

“Gavin started to believe that he could and would score goals every game, then flashed up in some big moments for us and he became a big-game player,” Elias said. “That was his self-belief improving. He’s always willing to run behind teams because his pace is deadly, and then he got better in front of goal. The consistency of his ability in front of goal is what also helped him make that jump.

“But I think so much of it came down to self-belief and an unwavering confidence that he can do it at this level and he can be impactful on both sides of the ball.”

Randolph wrapped 2023 with the NESCAC’s third-most points, a driving force in the conference’s highest-scoring team (52 goals) and second-highest on a goals-per-game basis (2.476). Randolph also came up clutch by snagging four game-winners, highlighted by pivotal strikes against Williams in the NESCAC quarterfinals and Cortland in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16.

Photo by Will Costello.

Yet, as the consummate team player, all the stats and accolades matter little to him.

“I sincerely would have traded all of that recognition just to have won the whole thing,” Randolph said. “We made
it to the Elite Eight (and lost to Amherst) — it was pretty heartbreaking.

“No matter how good of a season you have, my perspective on it is it doesn’t really matter unless you and your boys are lifting up the cup at the end of the run. That matters so much more to me.”

Hearing Elias rave about Randolph, that viewpoint comes as little surprise. Humility is an easily recognizable trait in their dynamic forward.

“There’s no one in the program guys were happier to see be awarded this year,” Elias said. “He is so team-first and he hasn’t had to be compelled to be that way. He genuinely just loves his teammates and wants to win for them, so he was almost shocked that he would win anything awards-wise. He’s just so down-to-earth and hard-working.”

That outlook surfaces in what Randolph enjoys most about Middlebury’s program.

“The most special thing about Middlebury, it has to be the culture here and the brotherhood,” Randolph, a computer science and economics double major, said. “I know that sounds cheesy or cliché, but here it is an actual motivating force and presence. If you called anyone on this team right now, they would tell you that every single person on our team is a real brother and they will be for even 30-plus years down the line.

“That kind of community and support has really helped me become more confident and reach that other level.”

With this foundation laid, it begs the question: What might 2024 have in store for Randolph? Elias has no doubt he’ll continue to level up.

“We believe his best days are ahead of him,” Elias said. “He’s not the type of young man to get complacent at all. He is almost self-critical to a fault. So he just has to keep the hunger to improve and establish himself as one of the best players in the country going forward, which he has in him.

“He has to keep improving in order to truly establish that. And that’s consistency, that’s variety of how he scores goals, that’s being even fitter, so he can go for ideally 90 minutes.”

There’s even taking on a leadership role, recognizing a Saint-Louis-sized hole is left behind. The three-time All-NESCAC forward capped his esteemed career with 69 points (24g/21a).

But what’s most meaningful for Randolph would be bringing home Middlebury’s first national title since 2007, a team Elias captained. If more accolades follow suit, that’s just a bonus.

“We want to win it all every season,” Randolph said. “If you’re not looking to win the whole thing at the end, I don’t know why you’re playing. Respectfully, of course. But we all believe in ourselves and we think that if we don’t end with the national title or a NESCAC trophy, then we’ve disappointed ourselves.

“I say that because I really believe in this team. I honestly think that we’ll be better next year than we were this year.”

This article was written by Jonathan Sigal at New England Soccer Journal. 

Photo by Anna Sawin.

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Our 2012 State Teal team, coached by Liam Bohman, had an overwhelmingly successful year. They went undefeated in the regular season, where they won 15 games and drew 1. They did not lose a game until November 18th at the IFA Pre-Thanksgiving Tournament. The girls went undefeated in the NECSL U12 Flight 2 Metro Blue, with only 5 conceded goals the entire season. They were crowned Champions of their division with this successful record. 

Their success did not stop at regular season matches. The team won the NE Surf Labor Day Classic Tournament in the U12 Girls Silver division where they only conceded 2 goals and went undefeated. They also were crowned Champions of the CFC Columbus Day Tournament in the U12 Girls Bronze division. They had a completely clean sheet where they won every game and conceded no goals. 

We had the opportunity to catch up with a few of the parents of the team to see how the season and their own journey has been like: 

“Our daughter Diana has been playing soccer at Surf for 2 years. It’s amazing to watch our child’s passion for soccer grow and develop each season with the help of amazing coaches! Playing in the Surf State Teal team taught her important lessons about teamwork, sportsmanship and determination. There’s nothing better seeing her score a goal, the look of pure joy on her face and her teammates celebrate with her!” -Katalin Popovici and Marius Bonaciu

“Hazel was brand new to Surf, so she was really tentative about how the social dynamics would work on the team. But I was really impressed with how quickly the team bonded – a testament to what a nice group of girls we have! – so that Hazel very quickly felt like she was one of the team. Because of that, even from day 1, the team did such a great job of passing on the field and trusting their teammates to be where they needed to be. I would also add that I think Liam really does a great job of encouraging the girls and helping them to feel confident in their abilities, which has helped them all develop as players this season.” – Sara Cordes

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New England Surf helped organize a introductory referee course in conjunction with the Massachusetts State Referee Committee (MSRC) on December 2, 2023. The event was an opportunity to host a course for our players, parents, and coaches, as well as other interested parties. The objective was to help increase the referee pool locally and inspire some of our membership to get involved and help out. The course brought in 23 people, including 3 of our coaches and some of our younger female players.

The training included a classroom session where the participants went over rules, information, and more, followed by an on-field training session.

The event was a great success and we are proud to have played a role in it! Peter Bradley, New England Surf Technical Director, said “Having young people pick up the reins and be involved in the game is a great thing to do so we were happy to support our players, parents, and coaches taking this course. Respect for referees is really important, but having more people become referees will also be a huge help.”

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Both teams have racked up quite the list of accolades this fall, including: 

NECSL Pre National Metro: League Champions – Pre State Navy

Surf Labor Day Cup: Top Bracket Champions – Pre State Navy 

Surf Labor Day Cup Top Bracket Runners up – Pre State Sky

CFC Columbus day tournament Champions – Pre State Sky

IFA Pre Thanksgiving Gold Bracket Champions – Pre State Sky 

IFA Pre Thanksgiving Platinum Bracket Champions – Pre State Navy

Although both teams had a great season, the Navy squad had multiple individual achievements worth noting. Paige Carr led the team in goals with 10, followed by Savannah Flynn who scored 6. Along with incredible goal-scorers, the team had a fiercely strong defense only conceding 3 goals in league play. The defenders leading the charge were  Luisa Rodriguez, Scarlett Heward, Molly Logan. 

Both teams are now preparing to represent NE Surf at the Jefferson Cup in March. 

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