The goal of the boys varsity soccer team has to do with getting the ball in the opposing team’s net, obviously. To end the game with more goals than the other team. But it does not end there. In fact, it goes much further than that, to some intangibles that start on the field but ultimately transcend the sport entirely.
Success, according to head coach John Chiavarolli, has to be measured by a metric besides simply wins and losses.
“I tell them at the beginning of the season and reiterate it throughout: success is measured in many different ways,” Chiavaroli explains. “A part of it is wins and losses, but also what friendships you establish for years to come because of your role on this team.”
While his current squad is undefeated in NEPSAC Class B play, and 11-4-1 on the season, Chiavaroli, in his 10th year as varsity coach, says the relationships are will outlast the scoreboard.
“The reality is only one team gets to raise the NEPSAC trophy that says ‘Champions’ on it,” he explains. “That means 90 percent of players won’t. If that’s your only measure of success, you’re setting yourself up for almost certain failure.”
To remedy this, he says, “There have got to be other goals you focus on that transcend results. That’s friendship and how you build respect for one another.”
These friendships are fostered internally, according to both Chiavaroli and assistant coach,
Jesús López Díez, who, in his first year with the varsity team, has been incredibly impressed with the team unity.
“I have never seen a better chemistry between kids on any team that I’ve coached in my life,” López Díez said, “that’s how good it is.”
López Díez previously coached at Milton Academy, Dana Hall School, and Deerfield Academy. Chiavaroli coached at Choate for five years after playing at Kenyon College.
This camaraderie is integral to the core identity of the team, and it is something Chiavaroli said past captains have instilled as part of the program. Each year, no matter how many new players join the squad, everyone feels welcome, he said. They continually bolster this sense of unity through team breakfasts and lunches, clear communication and support on the field, and a pre-season trip to Guatemala that Chiavaroli credited with starting to cement the team’s bond.
It is “ultimately about spending time with one another,” Chiavaroli said. “The strength is in their relationships. The guys really get along well and work hard for one another.”
“We genuinely like spending time together,” agreed senior Yahya Wilson. “Our team unity is a big contributor to the success we have had this season.”
Wilson added that he and his teammates “push each other to grow and generally wish the best for each other.”
For López Díez, the players’ character shines through every day.
“In our society we cannot be ourselves in many occasions, we have filters,” he said, citing the cultural differences between his native Spain and the U.S. “But they are very open-minded, and open about sharing their feelings. I’ve seen many instances where these kids are absolutely genuine. There’s not one single day when I get on the field and they don’t give me a hug or a fist bump. They’re fantastic.”
López Díez also credits Chiavaroli for his tactical and analytical approach to coaching the players in a way that gives them exactly what they need in every moment.
“One of the things John does beautifully is he is able to analyze where the team is and adjust what’s needed throughout the season,” he explained. “The analysis he has made of other teams is so in-depth that when he coaches them, he knows what exactly is the best tactic.”
He saw this play out in the October 8 game against Choate, in which the team adopted a more defensive approach. They were losing 2-0 but came back to tie in the final two minutes. “That was huge,” López Díez said.
The Wildcats beat Northfield Mount Hermon 3-2 on Nov. 8 and will play in the first round of the NEPSAC playoffs this Wednesday, Nov. 12.