On the Varsity Boys’ Soccer team’s third game of the season, they allowed zero goals in a game against Pat- tonville on a full 73-yard wide field at Rockwood Summit. Then, after coming home to the new 65-yard wide Howell North turf field, they allowed three goals against Troy and lost. That loss may be attributed to the turf field being eight yards more narrow than the team is used to. The field is within required regulation dimensions, but is nar- rower than most other schools’ fields.“It stinks just playing on it; it can be deceptive to players playing on it,” Head Coach Larry Scheller said. “We are used to more space so it will affect how we play on it.”
When the requested dimensions of 118 by 73 yards were sent out by the activities office, the dimensions were messed up to where the field was put in four yards narrow on each side. When the blueprints were sent in a request, no one caught that it was short and it was signed off on. According to the activities director Mike Janes, the activi- ties office does not know whether or not this error will be corrected. With the team not knowing if they are going to fix the field, they are working together to overcome the difficulty of a having less space than they are used to.
“We will have to be more compact and learn to better communicate as a team,” senior Mathieu Perrault said.
Even though there are struggles that come from the small turf field, there can also be good things that come out of it just being a turf field.
“It will help us bring a sense of pride to our program and gives us a sense of appreciation to work harder and more incentive to win on the field,” Scheller said.
To help get accustomed to the field, the team practices on the turf field on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from 2:30-5 p.m.
“Well, the practice always helps you improve skills and how to use them,” Perrault said. “This helps us get used to being more compact and playing on the narrower field.”
The team has started off the season with a 2-3 record, as of press time. Along with the turf field being a difficulty, they are working everyday on improving their new forma- tion that is different from previous years.
“With every player playing a new position it is difficult getting everyone to understand the position and main- taining their role,” Scheller said.
Last year, the team won Districts and still have seven returning starters from that team. This can help with all of the competition that goes on between the team challeng- ing each other for the different starting spots, which can give them a lot of depth.
“I think we did good last year winning districts and we will do even better this year because most of us have been together for three years now,” senior Tyler Walters said.
