{"id":2247,"date":"2018-12-12T10:20:30","date_gmt":"2018-12-12T15:20:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gracegazette.org\/wordpress1\/?p=2247"},"modified":"2018-12-12T14:43:04","modified_gmt":"2018-12-12T19:43:04","slug":"end-of-an-era-in-boys-soccer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gracegazette.org\/wordpress1\/end-of-an-era-in-boys-soccer\/","title":{"rendered":"End of An Era In Boys Soccer"},"content":{"rendered":"

For the last four years, the Boys Varsity Soccer team at Grace Church School has seen a tremendous amount of success. A large part of this success is due to the collective effort of 12 different players, all with one thing in common, they\u2019re all members of the Class of 2019. Malcolm Gibson and Jiwon Simpkins have been members of the Varsity team for all four of their years at Grace, where they\u2019ve made three playoff appearances, two runs to the finals, and won the 2015 PSAA Championship.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

I sat down with the two, who are now captains of the team, for an interview one day after their final game for Grace.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Have you thought about the emotions going through your last game with Grace?<\/b><\/p>\n

Jiwon<\/span>: \u201cI cried. I made everyone cry. It\u2019s been such a big part of our lives for our entire high school career and now that it\u2019s over\u2026 I\u2019ve never really felt this sense of conclusion.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Malcolm<\/span>: \u201cIt\u2019s one of those things where I didn\u2019t think it was going to end. I guess it hasn\u2019t hit me that I\u2019ll never be playing soccer again here at Grace. I feel like soccer is still lingering, I haven\u2019t had that sense of closure with it at Grace yet.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How do you think you\u2019ve grown over the four years?<\/b><\/p>\n

Malcolm<\/span>: \u201cI\u2019ve grown tremendously. I\u2019ve been playing the same position each year, so I\u2019ve been able to take what I\u2019ve done or what I\u2019ve messed up and improve them that much more. I feel like I\u2019ve become a lot more of a leader and my skills have improved greatly just by being aware of what I\u2019m doing wrong and how to fix it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jiwon<\/span>: \u201cWhen I started out I was kind of an individual player, I was just more concerned with stats and whatnot, but towards the end of my career at Grace, I became more aware of the team effort and the importance of trusting your teammates and being encouraging and not so single-minded.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How did it feel making the Varsity team freshman year?<\/b><\/p>\n

Malcolm<\/span>: \u201cIt was very rewarding. I kind of went in wanting to make the varsity team, that was my goal, and throughout pre-season I was a little shy, a little nervous, but I just let myself do the work and show what I was capable of.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jiwon<\/span>: \u201cLike Malcolm, I had the expectation, or I thought I had it in me, to make varsity. When I toured, Manny, who was the captain at the time, spoke to me about playing and it was really nice cause you had all these guys that you didn\u2019t know and you just let the ball do the talking.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Do you have a sense of accomplishment having been on Varsity all four years?<\/b><\/p>\n

Malcolm<\/span>: \u201cHonestly, yeah. Nowadays, as a senior, it\u2019s kind of felt normalized that I\u2019ve been on varsity. When I came here the school was very new, it was only the fourth year the high school had been around, so it wasn\u2019t too much of a challenge to make the team. But it\u2019s definitely a great accomplishment to be on a varsity team for four years in high school, no matter where you are.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jiwon<\/span>: \u201cYeah, the same as Malcolm. These are my fondest memories of high school; I\u2019m very happy that I participated in the group. It was a tremendous experience.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Do you have one memory that stands out from your time on the team?<\/b><\/p>\n

Malcolm<\/span>: \u201cOne from freshman year\u2026 I remember the playoffs, the semis and finals, I scored almost the exact same goal in both games…and just the celebration afterward. At the time the team was very energized, very hype, very excited, and it was just great to feel all the love from everyone in those crucial games\u2026 and winning the championship.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jiwon<\/span>: \u201cFor me, winning the championship was obviously a big one. I remember the first goal that I scored for Grace; it was a pretty bad goal. I kind of just snuck it in under the keeper. Then this season we had a game against Brooklyn Friends that I didn\u2019t play in. We went 2-0 down, and [Malcolm] stepped up and put the game on his back, and he slotted two. That was a big highlight for me because I was just on the sideline trying to coach and lead the kids and to see how far we had come as a team from a bird\u2019s eye view was really nice to see.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What do you have to say about Coach Carl and your relationship with him over the last four years?<\/b><\/p>\n

Malcolm<\/span>: \u201cOh wow! Our relationship has evolved greatly over the last four year. When I was a freshman, we didn\u2019t have many lengthy conversations. It wasn\u2019t much of a bond or relationship where we talk all the time. As the years have gone on I\u2019ve talked to him more and opened up to him more. I\u2019ve learned more about him, and he\u2019s learned more about me. It\u2019s a great coach-to-player bond to have for a long period of time. When it comes to the end, you see how far you\u2019ve come and how much you\u2019ve grown together and it\u2019s really great to look back on.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jiwon<\/span>: \u201cMe and Carl weren\u2019t always the closest. We had some rough patches where I wanted to play a certain way and that didn\u2019t fit with what he did. But especially after this year, he\u2019s like an older brother; he would teach us things about life that we wouldn\u2019t get from conventional sources. I think it was really significant for me to have a guy like that in my life. We\u2019ve all grown together and that\u2019s a hell of a thing to have.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

Do you think because half the players on the team are Seniors, that has helped you play better or bond more?<\/b><\/p>\n

Malcolm<\/span>: \u201cThere\u2019s definitely a strong bond between the team this year. Not only cause a lot of us are in the same grade, but because there\u2019s a lot of returning players. We went through some hardships at some point in the season and it brought us together as a team knowing that we got to step it up as a unit and everyone was on the same page. It\u2019s a very cohesive group.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jiwon<\/span>: \u201cYou can feel the love on the team. That started with the coaches; they were very supportive of us this year. It was all positive. Like Malcolm said, even through tough parts of the season, we were all there for each other, picking each other up. I think that was the key to having the season that we did.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Next year, where at least half the team is going to be new, what do you think it\u2019s going to be like?<\/b><\/p>\n

Malcolm<\/span>: \u201cI definitely have a lot of trust in the guys. Not only did Varsity have a pretty solid season but JV did as well. The players that are returning, the sophomores, the freshmen they\u2019re all studs. I think the players coming from JV will be a great help.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jiwon<\/span>: \u201cI mean it\u2019s tough when you have graduating classes and new classes cause the roster is always changing, so it\u2019s really important to make the most out of each season. We look at the squad, and we got a lot of solid athletes and a lot of solid players coming up and Carl knows that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Speaking of Chase, do you think he, being the lone junior on the team, will be ready to lead?<\/b><\/p>\n

Malcolm<\/span>: \u201cHe definitely has the skill and the work ethic, I\u2019d just say if he\u2019s serious and he really steps into the role of a leader and is vocal, I think he is capable of leading the team.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jiwon<\/span>: \u201cIt\u2019s just as much mental as it is technical and physical.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I also spoke with a few other Seniors that have been on the Varsity team during the last four years. Each player reflected fondly on their time playing soccer at Grace and their progress since being on the JV team. <\/span><\/p>\n

Louis Schoeppach said, \u201cMy favorite memories are probably the practices where we just scrimmaged and there was no pressure…we were all having a good time.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

When asked about how it felt finally making the Varsity team Brian Jorgensen said, \u201cAbout time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Josh Hull shared what he thought the reputation of Grace Soccer is around the league, \u201cI think we are known as a dangerous team. We made it to the finals last year and to the semi-finals this year. Three years ago we probably weren\u2019t taken seriously, but during the past two years, I think teams know our presence and expect us to be a difficult game to pass.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Luke Casesa had this message for the young guys as they progress into more prominent leadership roles on the team, \u201cI hope they can keep the mentality of the team together, but also continue to embody our spirit: winning isn\u2019t important, it\u2019s everything.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

I took the time to speak with Coach Carl and ask him what coaching these seniors has meant to him: \u201cMy seniors were great players and more importantly great leaders.\u201d He spoke often about each one of their talents and how they all contributed to execute a game plan. About watching his captains play over the last four years, he said, \u201cMalcolm has been my captain since the beginning by always being the hardest worker and giving everything he had for the good of the team. Jiwon was a very talented kid as a freshman and I was excited to be his coach and watch him grow technically and become the leader he was on our team.\u201d Finally, he left his seniors with this message, \u201cBrian, Malcolm, Jiwon, Daniel, Gabe, Paul, Will, Louie, Luke, Josh, and Sam, it was a pleasure to coach all my seniors this year and awesome to watch them mature on and off the field.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Chase Gardner is the only junior currently on the Varsity team, and when asked about what he thinks his role will be next year he said this, \u201cWe\u2019re losing a lot of players, so I\u2019m gonna have to step up.\u201d \u201cI\u2019m already captain of the basketball team\u201d he said, \u201cso that I think has prepared me\u201d When asked what he thinks it\u2019ll be like without the seniors next year he was optimistic, \u201cTo be honest, it\u2019s not going to be the same, but we can stay at our best\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For the last four years, the Boys Varsity Soccer team at Grace Church School has seen a tremendous amount of success. A large part of this success is due to… Continue reading “End of An Era In Boys Soccer”<\/span> <\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":2295,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[6,200],"tags":[40,180,399,398,151,154,227],"appful":[],"class_list":["post-2247","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-athletics","category-recent","tag-athletics","tag-featured","tag-grace-church-school","tag-griffins","tag-soccer","tag-sports","tag-varsity"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9uEnr-Af","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/gracegazette.org\/wordpress1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/unnamed-7.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gracegazette.org\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2247","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gracegazette.org\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gracegazette.org\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracegazette.org\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracegazette.org\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2247"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/gracegazette.org\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2247\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2299,"href":"https:\/\/gracegazette.org\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2247\/revisions\/2299"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracegazette.org\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2295"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gracegazette.org\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2247"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracegazette.org\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2247"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracegazette.org\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2247"},{"taxonomy":"appful","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracegazette.org\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/appful?post=2247"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}