Christiansburg Soccer Club’s U12 Boys win Blue Ridge Soccer League Gold Division

Pictured in the back row from left are coaches Habeeb Issa, Scott Trobaugh and Todd Mills. Team members are Angelo Rosso (front row, from left), Mahmud Atway, Jared Wade, Ben Walden, Mahdi Issa, Avery Absher, Ethan Mills, Michael Ward, Nick Harrison, Cayden Trobaugh, Jackson Bulls and Ian Blanton. Photo courtesy of Kim Trobaugh

CSC Phoenix won the Blue Ridge Soccer League’s U12 Boys Gold division this past Sunday, finishing their season undefeated and outscoring their competition 33-3 this fall.

During their BRSL season, they played the Smith Mountain Lake Jets, Franklin County Star, PYSL Hurricanes (Martinsville) and the Salem Sabres, each at home and away. They travelled to Lynchburg on Labor Day Weekend to compete in the Region 2000 Cup and finished as finalist. Then they won the Challenge Fest 2012 in Winston-Salem on Columbus Day weekend as part of their tournament schedule.

The team will play in the Greensboro Boys Clash tournament the weekend of Nov. 10-11 to finish their fall schedule.

This past spring, several of these boys were not even sure that they would have a team. When faced with the decision to leave the Christiansburg Soccer Club to play for another club or to stay and rebuild their team, they decided to stay and take their chances. Tryouts were held, and former recreational soccer players were added to fill out the team roster. Parents and siblings stepped up to fill the coaching positions, and the boys’ hopes of playing fall soccer were realized.

To get this team to the skill level they needed to be at to be competitive in the league, players attended summer camps, paid for specialized, one-on-one training and took advantage of a former Radford University soccer player’s offer to work with the boys on a weekly basis. They also worked with a physical trainer for conditioning and core strengthening.

Though their season got off to a rocky start, these boys have exceeded all expectations. They have grown as players, individuals and have become more than just a team. Players and parents alike have strived to see this team succeed as part of the Christiansburg Soccer Club. They have worked together to overcome the many obstacles they faced at this team’s beginning. Parents have supported their boys and their coaches. “To rise up from the ashes,” which is the team’s motto, has been accomplished.

Lori Trail, whose son Ben Walden plays for the team, said, “This coaching staff did a wonderful job of creating an environment where the boys felt equally important to their team. Individually, they were given the opportunity to grow as players. Each and every player was made to feel that they were a valuable asset and had a critical role in this team’s success. There was no first string or second string, there was a simply a team.”

When reflecting on the season, Andrea Blanton said, “CSC Phoenix is a group of 11 and 12 year old boys who started their soccer season as a new team, with a new name, new colors and new coaches. They started their season under a great deal of uncertainty, not knowing if there would be enough players to form a team or a coach who would be willing to step up and coach them. But thanks to coaches Scott Trobaugh, Habeeb Issa and Todd Mills, these boys had leadership and direction. Phoenix’s success is totally due to their coaches and the boy’s motivation to succeed as a team. They played with so much determination, in such a positive environment, that they were bound to rise from the ashes. I am just so thankful that Ian (Blanton) had the opportunity to be a part of such a great team.”

Christiansburg Soccer Club President Dennis Nagel said, “When I saw these boys practicing, I could see both the joy and their commitment. It was nice to see all of their hard work pay off with a division title, a tournament title, and an undefeated season.”

To help this team reach the next level, the team has decided to hire a well-experienced coach for the upcoming season to help prepare the team for 11 vs.11 play. Kyle Hodge has coached advanced travel soccer teams and coached the Auburn High soccer team. He played soccer for 25 years and has 27 years of soccer experience.

“I know that with this team’s success, I have very big shoes to fill. I give their current coaches credit, not only for holding this team together, but for getting the boys to the level they needed to be at. I relish the chance to work with these boys. It will be an honor to work with a group of boys who love the game as much as these kids do. I look forward to sharing my knowledge with the team, because they truly want to be the best they can be. I hope to pick up where the current coaches left off and take these boys not only to the 11v11 U13 level, but JV and varsity soccer as well as college soccer for many of these boys,” Hodge said.

– Submitted by Kim Trobaugh

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