“We’ve Always Asked For A Soccer Team”

PRESCOTT - After a week or so of practice with the players who signed up for the new WP high school soc­cer program, Rick Hamilton is impressed. The 23 co-ed players who joined the Tigers have a lot of talent. Many of them have played club soccer. They can trap, pass, dribble and break free with the ball in pursuit of the goal. They know how to score.

It's a great set of skills Hamilton likes to refer to as "raw talent," but he explains that it's not enough to be successful against tougher teams. "The challenge is to take it to the next level," said Ham­ilton, who was recruited for his many years of coaching soccer teams at much more advanced classifications. "If you put it in the air, for instance, it can end up as anyone's ball," he said. "Soc­cer is about control. If you control the ball you control the game." In the wake of this year's World Cup, his point is well taken. Some of the best professional players in the world, such as the Spanish and Dutch national teams that made it to the final, are all about possession and constant passing, wearing down the protection around the goal, exploiting the oth­er team's weaknesses and breaking through for the kill.

So with the help of as­sistant coach Bart Baxter from Waitsburg, Hamilton will make the Tigers work on reading the field, setting up plays, talking to each other (to take the guesswork out of passing) and coming together as a team. "He pushes us," said Miguel Velazco, a Prescott High School senior who plays wing. "He shows us a lot of new things." A drill/move called the "two touch" is important: trap the ball, look and pass. He's also working on set plays, such as corner kicks, free kicks and kick offs. With more organization like that, the players will gradually come to learn how to play soccer like a chess game by breaking down the defense and opening up the middle. Hamilton is still finalizing his positions. The good news is that most of the players could play any position, and he has picked out two good goalies. He's moved many of them around the field, taking them out of their comfort zone, and they've responded well. He already feels confidentthe Tigers will have a strong defense. His group of for­wards is still somewhat un­defined. If the Tigers manage to schedule enough games, there may even be a JV team.

Hamilton is equally im­pressed by the players' at­titude and spirit. Many of the players already know each other from the Vista Hermosa fruit pickers' community and have played together since they were young.

But they had no trouble ac­cepting Jared Morris, a quiet but very talented player who recently moved to Waitsburg from Falling Waters, West Virginia, where he played right forward for a small pri­vate Christian school. "I'm really proud of these kids' attitudes," Hamilton said. "They have a great at­titude and desire to learn." The Tigers' league covers a large territory in which they will be up against teams from Spokane, Yakima, Walla Walla, Moses Lake and, closer to home, Dayton. In particular, he expects Spo­kane to give WP some heart­burn. Most of the opponents have well-established soccer programs where everything about the Tigers is new: the program, the team and the coaches.

But Hamilton isn't too worried about the first sea­son. "I think we'll be just fine," he said. "I expect great things from the jamboree."

For their part, the players are delighted they finally have a chance to play in a high school league.

"We've always asked for a soccer team," said Jose Esquivel, a senior who plays mid or second keeper. "I see interest in every one of us. We really want it."

Even the Bulldog players welcome the new WP team. "We're excited about it," said Davy Phillips, a senior and forward for Dayton. "We've been waiting for them to get a team."

2010 Tigers

Gabriel

Escalante Aldair Escalante Luis Torres Raul Contreras Lino Diaz Jesse Albarran Omar Virgen Francisco

Gonzalez Rebecca Mejia Pedro Mendoza Keven Ortega Jose Esquivel Jairo Gonzalez Miguel Velacco Cesar Munguia Oscar Gonzalez Emily Wilson Liz Xaudaro Alberto

Sandoval Enrique

Balderas Kyle Darby Jared Morris Rebecca Adams

Head Coach: Rick Hamilton

Assistant Coach: Bart Baxter