Loud Hustle Beats Skill

LEICESTER – There is a small opening hidden in the woods behind the Leicester Senior Center. The Leicester High School boys’ varsity soccer team were there setting up three sets of orange cones in a triangle formation on the green turf. This is their secluded practice field and they were preparing to do an important practice drill.

“Today, we’re going to keep working on our passing,” announced first year head coach Anthony Notaro to his young team. “We’re working on opening up our hips; receiving the ball stronger; working on our first touch; and working on movement and communication.”

In order for his team to be ready for the start of the 2021 Fall season, he stressed the importance of certain fundamentals to his team. “I don’t want to see flat-footedness in the passing drills,” he told his team. “I want to see everyone on their toes … and everyone is giving 100 percent … It’s time to bare down!”

Despite being a rookie coach, Notaro has served as the team’s assistant for four seasons. However, he was not involved with the team during the 2020 season which saw the Wolverines garner a decent 4-4 record. Notaro said he wants to prove that talking about hustle and a solid work ethic are not just lip service. He preaches a compelling motto: “Hustle beats skill and earns everything.” This is the foundation of the Wolverine soccer culture. “I expect my guys to play right up until the final whistle regardless of the score,” said Notaro, who set the goal of a 500 record or better in what he calls a rebuilding year.

However, there’s more to the game than just kicking a ball in the net. In fact, the team, at the time of this practice during the first week of September, had no nets to even shoot at. The goal frames were void of a net.

“This is now our second week,” Notaro told his team. “We’ve done this now every single day without the nets. I told you passing and movement off the ball are the most important parts of the season, all right? Finishing will come. I’m not too worried, but I would like shots on the goal before the first game. We’re going to adapt and play hard.”

Regardless of the outcome of the game, Notaro wants to elevate the drive of his players to be the best that they can be on and off the field.

“I made it clear to my guys that all I expect from them is to show me a strong work ethic and eagerness to learn from failure and turn that into success,” Notaro said. “I also hope to shape these young men and help prepare them for the future. I want to further their knowledge of the game and see the growth from the first day of practice to the final day. I want to help these athletes to succeed not only on the field but in the classroom, too, so they truly embody what a student-athlete is.”

Notaro will look to his senior captains, Jack O’Leary, Evan Benoit, and Charlie Martinelli, as well as junior Cole Delage to make a big impact for Leicester on the pitch and as role models for the younger players. “I expect these four young men to make a splash this season,” Notaro said. “These four have the most experience on the team at the varsity level. They know what to expect and I work closely with them so we as a group can prepare the younger athletes on the team … Being upperclassmen, I want them to build strong relationships with the younger part of the team and help mentor them and support them throughout the season.”

The captains look to step-up to the coach’s challenge to help lead the team.

“I hope to help bring the team together,” Benoit said. “I hope to teach the younger kids that we’re not just a lost cause because we’re small. I feel like everyone is saying, ‘oh it’s just a small team,’ but that’s not just all we are. It’s quality over size … We’re a good team. With our chemistry and skill, we know what to do. It will come together.”

“We’re all young, but everybody knows how to play the game,” O’Leary said. “Everybody here has been playing their whole lives, so we got that going for us.”

In addition, the three captains have three years of experience at the varsity level. “What makes them great leaders is their ability to be light, fun, and know when to joke but also know when they need to be serious,” Notaro said. “Over the first few days of practice I’ve seen these three step up without me having to say anything. They’re picking up their teammates and always speaking to them, telling them not to worry if they make a mistake. They’ve encouraged the younger team members that they will fail at things throughout the season but it’s how they react to failure where we can succeed.”

O’Leary said the team needs to work on their communication. “Because everyone is so young, they’re all afraid to talk. So, we try to get their voices up, but I’ll leave that up to the coach.”

Along with communication, the Wolverines were definitely focused on ball control. “It’s just the simple little steps that we need to do to get us ready,” O’Leary said. “We don’t have nets up yet, so we can’t really shoot or anything, so we’ve been doing long passes and trying to control the ball.”

The Wolverines do have some up-and-coming underclassman Notaro expects will emerge as major contributors to the team this season, including freshman Dylan Delage and sophomores Will Panepinto, Connor Parke, and Kyle Modig. Panepinto and Parke played last year and “over the last few days of practice I’ve already seen improvement from both,” Notaro said. Delage and Modig are new to the team, but show promise. “Dylan is a freshman but is excelling at practice and really standing out. He’s eager to continue to learn about the game. Kyle is a sophomore who did not play last year. I think he will have a significant role in what we will try to accomplish. All four of these young men will be taking on more responsibility and minutes in the game.”

Along with the captains, the returning seniors include Theodore Miller at outside midfielder/striker, Domingo Torres at defender, Brady White at defender/defensive midfield, Martinelli at outside back/defensive midfield, O’Leary at striker/center midfield, and Benoit at center back/backup goalkeeper. The juniors are Cole Delage at center back and Aleczander Thompson at goalkeeper. The sophomores are Robbie Wiebel at defender, Parke at outside back/midfielder, Panepinto at striker/midfielder, and Modig at center midfield. There are six freshmen joining the squad with David Marsh at defender, Antonio Wood at striker, Benjamin LaPointe, Cooper White at outside midfield, Ryan Delage at center midfield, and Dylan Delage at outside back/midfielder.

Notaro said these positions are just an overview of where the kids have played in the past. “Some will have to take on a new position to help the team succeed,” he said. “I have yet to discuss with the team their final position and what their role will be. I still need to see some more from everyone before I can make the final decisions.”

Just prior to the players taking their places next to the various cones for passing drills, Notaro had a message for his squad.

“What I’m looking for today is that everybody needs to be loud,” he called out. “I don’t want to keep harping on it. I sound like a broken record, but I want to see leadership. Step up and start talking! We’re all a team. One team!”

Leicester High School Boys’ Soccer

At a Glance

Nickname: Wolverines

Affiliation: South Worcester County Division C

Colors: Maroon and White

2020 (Fall II) Record: 4-4

Home Field: Community Field

Waite Street, Leicester, Mass.

Coach: Anthony Notaro (first year)

Captains: Jack O’Leary, Evan Benoit,

Charlie Martinelli

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