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by Stephen Press
Hometown Weekly Staff
Dover-based Total Soccer F.C. scored a successful hat-trick of championships over their winter indoor soccer session at ForeKicks in Norfolk. The club’s three squads, U-11 Premier (U-11 stands for “under age 11”), U-11 Elite and U-9 Academy, each took the crown in their respective divisions.
“Our girls are fantastic,” said Coach Lee Grainger, reflecting on his players’ success. “They have had their fair share of obstacles over the past Fall and Winter sessions, but their ability to overcome adversity and learn from situations good or bad is second to none.”
Each of Total’s teams had its own unique route to playoff success. The U-11 Premier team averaged over five goals per game on their way to a comfortable finals victory.
The U-9 Academy team celebrated its first indoor soccer season by taking the title, winning 2-1 in both the semi-finals and final.
The U-11 Elite side, meanwhile, overcame a fourth seed position and a daunting match against an undefeated U-12 squad in the semi-finals before taking the title, 2-1, against yet another U-12 team.
It wasn’t just the success that made the victories so sweet, but how it came. At the core of Total Soccer F.C.’s mission is a philosophy that makes them unique. “Total has a club-wide mentality of teamwork and intelligence on the field,” explained Grainger. “Total Soccer is not just a club. It’s a philosophy taken from some of the most successful soccer styles from around the world, including ‘total football.’ Made famous by the great Johan Cruyff, ‘total football’ is a belief that any player can cover any position in any situation effectively. This, combined with a collectively intelligent sense of awareness and some stylistic inspiration from the tiki-taka possession mentality [made famous by FC Barcelona], along with our traditional values, creates beautiful soccer - ‘Total Soccer.’”
To Coach Grainger, though, the most touching realization goes beyond soccer itself. “They have learned a sense of teamwork and friendship like no other. These girls don’t just play soccer because they love the game, they play because they love to play for each other.”
Total Soccer F.C. plays home games at the Charles River School and competes in the Maple leagues. The club will be recruiting new players over the summer and hosting tryouts on June 6, 8 and 10 at 4:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.totalsoccerfc.com.
