2006 Boys Win National League P.R.O.

Years of preparation have led to this success.

“Competing against the top teams in the nation requires a level of skill that our team has never required before entering this league,” Amir continued.

The 2006 boys player pool has established a training culture that demands excellence, accountability, and intensity.

Over the course of several seasons, the core principle for the boys has been to be a ball-oriented and ball-dominant team, both in and out of possession.

This requires the players to be confident and brave on the ball, break lines of pressure with dribbling and passing, and to regain possession quickly when the ball is lost.

“In preparation for the National P.R.O League,” says Coach Jonathan Velotta, “We have tried to hone in on these principles: to dominate the ball in more advanced positions and to regain possession higher up the field.”

“When the team lost in the Regional Semi-final last year to Arlington Soccer Academy, the eventual National Champion,” Coach Velotta recalls, “We talked as a group about gaining the 5% we needed to improve in order to compete at a national level. In addition to improving our core principles, we acknowledged that we needed to add more tactical sophistication and adapt to different situations based on the demands of the individual games.”

And the boys rose to the challenge, training more often and more intensely in the months leading up to the National League.

“We've improved our overall game management, mid and low black defending and attacking and defending box organization,” Coach Velotta said.

“To summarize, these boys have combined a high standard of physical and mental commitment with an elite level of technical and tactical execution, leading to success on a national stage.”

When reflecting on the training received, teammate Koven Johnson agreed: “The coaches are top class and go out of their way to ensure a healthy and enjoyable training environment that you can’t find anywhere else.”