By: Jeff Wirick
Times-News
Shareh Hallaji’s goal and some tough defense earned the Burlington Soccer Club’s 15-andunder girls’ team a state championship and several shiny trophies. It might have earned the organization something even more important.
Respect.
A 1-0 victory in the North Carolina Soccer Association’s Presidents Cup final last month offered proof that a system Burlington Soccer Club put in place several years ago is slowly paying dividends.
"It’s a pretty big deal for these girls," Burlington Soccer Club president David Myers said. "There aren’t a lot of times in your life when you win a state championship."
Myers said it had never happened in the Burlington Soccer Club’s 20-year history.
Dustin Fonder, the organization’s director of coaching, said Burlington Soccer Club initiated a plan about two years ago to improve the overall success of its system, which includes 21 teams that range in ages from 11 to 18. Burlington Soccer Club began bringing in coaches with college or professional playing experience and setting up a set of guidelines for its current players.
For example, Fonder said players on the 10-and-under and 11-and-under teams focus on individual skill development, while the other teams concentrate on learning team skills. That would get Burlington Soccer Club in line with organizations from neighboring counties that had captured the bulk of the state and regional tournaments.
Fonder, who’s an assistant men’s soccer coach at Elon University, was hired to oversee the coaches.
"We’re doing things differently," Fonder said. "(Winning the state title in 15-and-under girls) is a sign that things are headed in the right direction."
One of Fonder’s former Elon players, Taylor Saxe, coached Burlington’s 15-and-under girls’ team for the past two years.
"I don’t know if they thought they were going to win," Saxe said. "But I kept telling them that they were the team to beat and they went out and proved it."
Saxe said his players’ work ethic and strong defense pushed the team through the Presidents Cup. It allowed just two goals in six games, which included a 1-0 shutout of the top-seeded Winston-Salem Twins on Nov. 19 in the Presidents Cup final.
Taylor Dawson went the distance in goal. She had help from defenders Chandler Kellum, Kelsey Cathey, Erin Parker, Allison Ester and Allyson Yow.
Jenn Bass led the team in goals throughout the season. Hallaji posted the winning tally in the championship game just six minutes into the second half.
Fonder said he hopes the championship leads to increased turnout when Burlington Soccer Club conducts tryouts in May.
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