takoma park rangers

7/23/2019 Takoma Park Rangers

1/14

Nick Shereikis

September 21, 2014

It just dawned on me that if I'm going to want to use soccer as an advanced exhibition, now

would be the time to start journaling (since we're in-season) I !la" for the #akoma $ark %angers, and it's

our first season !la"ing &ivision ne NS soccer So far we've won two and tied two *e just !la"ed

our fourth game of the season toda" awa" against the +erndon %ed &evils, and just barel" came out with

a win It reall" wasn't the best game for an"one, but was hands-down m" worst game of the season so far

+erndon started the game hard and !ushed us back into our own half, but we eventuall" managed

to !ull ourselves together Some amaing link-u! !la" from our forwards ke!t the ball in their half, and

we managed to score twice uickl" #he second half is where it got bad *hen the ball was launched over

m" head towards our goal, miscommunication with our goalie led to an eas" ta!-in for the +erndon

forward Shortl" after, I gave u! an indirect free-kick inside our !enalt" box, which the" easil" converted

I was !la"ing so badl" I was !ulled out of the game . something that never ha!!ens . and given a talking

to b" coach *hile I was out, +erndon scored again to take the lead *hen I went back in, the game was

more frantic than an"thing else /ventuall", we managed to score off a corner kick to tie the game u!

*ith five minutes left, we scored again to regain the lead, and managed to hold them off until the final

whistle

0lthough we won 1-2, there's a lot that I can im!rove on for next game 3" communication was

horrendous, and cost us a goal as well as being detrimental to team !la" I need to talk more on the field to

hel! the team move the ball around smoothl", and know where to be I also need to work on internaliing

m" emotions It's natural to feel frustrated, but that feeling shouldn't affect "our !la" or the rest of the

team's I let m" emotions cloud m" judgment and im!act m" abilities, and as a result the team suffered

0s ca!tain, I should be doing whatever I can to hel! the team . rather than focusing in on m"self, I need

to be able to ste! back and evaluate what the teamneeds at the moment It's an im!ortant skill that I'm

still working towards

0!art from being an integral !art of m" life, this team is teaching me so much about m"self and

giving me so man" new leadershi! o!!ortunities that to not use it as an advanced exhibition would be

extremel" hard I'm develo!ing skills that I can use not onl" throughout m" athletic career, but also

through m" social and academic careers as well 0s rough as toda"'s game was, it hel!ed me hone in on

areas of m" game and ca!tainc" that I need to work on in order to better serve the team 0nd that's reall"


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Nick Shereikis

what this advanced exhibition is all about . an ex!erience that not onl" is im!ortant to me, but that also

hel!ed me im!act others in m" life

I'm sorr" if this sounds a little fragmented, it's m" first journal entr" and I'm still a little wired

from the game I'm going to tr" to chronicle each game throughout the season and so ho!efull" show m"

!rogression as a leader


3/14

Nick Shereikis

October 5, 2014

I neglected to journal after last week's game against the 4S0 +eat, so I'll just sa" that it was a

mediocre game which we won 5-6 #he more im!ortant game was toda"'s, which we !la"ed at 7lair

against 78 7arca 9: /lite 7arca is technicall" a division one team this "ear, but onl" because the"'re

taking a cou!le seasons off from !la"ing %egion ne soccer (where the" won the regional title last "ear)

I went in a little nervous, and uickl" had all m" fears validated

#he" walked all over us 8aster, more aggressive, and more cohesive as a team, the" worked the

ball around the field while we struggled to kee! u! /ver" goal the" scored was !rett" much the same .

the" took the ball outside, cut it back inside, and shot #hat being said, none of them were directl" m"

fault (our outside defenders were the ones who ke!t getting beaten), but I still failed to sto! them 7" the

second half, we had almost given u! It was 2-6, and there was obviousl" no wa" we were going to come

back Still, it was again m" job to tr" and boost the team morale and !ick u! the slack 0lthough we were

tired and disa!!ointed in ourselves, we went back out and fought for our !ride (I'm just now realiing

how overl" dramatic this sounds) and managed to hold them to onl" one more goal in the half

0lthough we lost 1-6, this game marks an enormous im!rovement from the +erndon game /ven

though things didn't !an out the wa" I wanted them to, I ke!t m" head I was in constant communication

with ever"one, so much so that I actuall" lost m" voice after the game 0nd even though all of the goals

came from the mistakes of a cou!le !la"ers, I sta"ed calm and su!!ortive rather than overtl" critical of

m" teammates I managed to hide m" frustration this game 0s strange as it ma" sound considering the

score line, I'm !roud of how I managed and dealt with the game and the team toda" I don't think I could

have done an" more than I did toda" to im!act the game

bviousl" I;ll kee! working to im!rove on m" own game and m" leadershi! skills throughout the

season, but toda" felt ver" good I even managed to (relativel") lift !eo!le's heads after the game I mean

"eah, we lost, but it was onl" 1-6 against the best team in the entire region (an area known for soccer

!rowess)


4/14

Nick Shereikis

October 26, 2014

#oda" we !la"ed one of the best-ranked teams in 4irginia, the S


5/14

Nick Shereikis

November 2, 2014

#he fall 56>1 season is officiall" over, and the #akoma $ark %angers will be returning to division

one this s!ring? *e finished in sixth !lace, not bad for a team new to the division #oda"'s game was

somewhat similar to the 7arca game, but better in terms of the score *e lost 5-> against the league

winners, 0rlington *hite, but that's not reall" indicative of the entire game

#he game started out similar to last week's S


6/14

Nick Shereikis

January 7, 2015

ooks like I've torn m" 0 It ha!!ened while I was !la"ing in that indoor tournament I

mentioned a while ago 4er" first game of the tournament, the" kick off and !la" starts #went" seconds

later, I'm chasing a ball down when their forward jum!s on m" back I land strangel" and there's a

!o!!ing noise, and suddenl" I can't walk

It wasn't swollen at all when we went to the doctor, so he told me it was !robabl" just an 3

s!rain 0fter getting m" 3%I back, however, it looks like I've com!letel" obliterated m" 0 and

damaged a small !ortion of m" meniscus *hereas before I would have been out for just a few weeks,

now I'm out for u!wards of half a "ear

I can't even ex!ress how I'm feeling right now I'm going to undergo extremel" !ainful surger",

tough and hard rehab and !h"sical thera!", miss out on the last season I would have had with the senior

!la"ers on m" club soccer team, and then . if I'm luck" . be back in time for m" senior "ear of high

school soccer h, and I'm also going to miss most identification cam!sAo!!ortunities to have college

coaches see me, almost eliminating m" chances of !la"ing college soccer #he surgeon gave me the rough

time frame of six months, but that seems incredibl" uick to me

0nd it doesn't just suck for me, but for m" club team too #he" don't reall" have a back-u! center

back to re!lace me, and the"'re going to have to !ick another ca!tain for the season I don't want to sound

overl" !om!ous or arrogant, but I honestl" think that I've become an integral !art of the team 0nd

without me, it's going to be a long s!ring season

I still can't believe this is ha!!ening I've never broken an" bones #he worst thing I've done to

m"self u! to this !oint has been tweaking m" hi! flexor in middle school 0nd now I have to deal with

one of the worst !ossible s!orts injuries there are 0s sad and disa!!ointed I am now, the worst !art for

me is knowing that I'll have to sit and watch m" team and friends this s!ring season without being able to

hel! them or !la" I don't know how involved I'll sta" with the team either bviousl" I want to hel! out

in an" wa" I can, and I'm committed to coach and ever"one on the team, but it doesn't make sense for me

to go to !ractices if I can't do an"thing 3a"be I'll just go to games I have no idea

3" surger" is scheduled for Banuar" 5C #he"'re doing o!en surger" to take a stri! of m" !atellar

tendon, and then the"'ll use arthrosco!ic surger" to insert that where m" 0 used to be #he other


7/14

Nick Shereikis

o!tions were a cadaver or a !iece of m" hamstring, but this is su!!osed to be the strongest and most

reliable o!tion


8/14

Nick Shereikis

January 31, 2015

I'm a cou!le da"s out of m" surger" #here's reall" not much to do . I'm still immobilied and

can't walk, so I've just been l"ing in bed watching #4 and reading I'm not actuall" in that much !ain "et,

though #he" !ut in nerve blocks before the surger", so I literall" can't feel m" entire left leg right now

#he most I can do is raise m" toes ever" now and then, which a!!arentl" hel!s !revent !ossible blood

clots It's kind of strange that the blocks are still working three da"s after the surger", but we called to ask

about it and basicall" the" told me I'm just luck" the"'re still in !lace I also just got a !rescri!tion for

$ercocet filled, so that should hel! numb the !ain, if not take care of it com!letel", when it arrives

h, and here's something funn" that ha!!ened to me . right as we're !ulling into the hos!ital

before m" surger", the radio started !la"ing DI *anna 7e SedatedD b" the Einks #hat was good for a

cou!le laughs before I was !ut under general anesthesia

I've been thinking about what I want to do with soccer this season, and I've decided to go to ever"

game I can I want to sta" as involved as !ossible even if I can't !la", and to hel! out however coach

needs me to *e'll see how it goes as we get closer to the s!ring season oach has also been ver" good

about checking in and asking me how I'm doing #he 7lair varsit" coach has too, he actuall" called me to

talk to me about it

I know this isn't as long as the advanced exhibition journals are su!!osed to be, but I can't write

an" more toda" I'm not feeling great, and the future is too uncertain right now to journal an"thing

im!ortant 3a"be I'll write another entr" to make u! for it 0n"wa", I'm going to attach a !icture to this to

make u! for the extra s!aceF


9/14

Nick Shereikis

April 19, 2015

k, we're three games into our season alread" I would have written about an earlier game, but I

figured if I waited until we !la"ed +erndon it would be a good !arallel to m" first journal entr" #his

game was less exciting than last "ear's though, and it ended in a 6-6 tie

I've been attending ever" game this season, standing on the sideline in m" crutches *e lost our

first game of the season against a team we reall" should have beaten, and barel" won our second against

another team that shouldn't have been a !roblem I've been hel!ing !ick starting lineu!s, set u! warm-u!s

and drills, and do a bunch of other things for the team (like giving !eo!le rides and checking !la"er

availabilit" for tournaments and games) ur defensive midfielder is !la"ing center back for me this

season, so I've also been tr"ing to hel! him learn the !osition as uickl" as !ossible . both at !ractice and

during games I've found that even though I'm not on the field, I can still give directions and im!act the

team b" !acing u! and down the sideline "elling onto the field I might get a little anno"ing at times to the

rest of the team, but nobod"'s said an"thing "et and I think that I'm being relativel" hel!ful

#oda"'s +erndon game was a boring affair Nobod" scored, the field was uiet, and both teams

looked fairl" mediocre ur defense held u! well, although the" weren't reall" tested, but our offense

struggled to create scoring o!!ortunities I don't know whether it's entirel" because of me, but this is

going to be a long season (as !redicted) *e've started off the same as last season though, so that's a

decent sign

It's hard to watch and not be able to !la", but I'm learning to be a different kind of leader I can't

lead b" exam!le an" more, and it's harder to im!act !la" when "ou're not on the field 7ut I can still talk

to !eo!le when the" come off the field, "ell and direct !eo!le from the sideline, and hel! kee! the team

morale high from the sideline 0nd like I said, I can definitel" hel! with the more managerial as!ects of

the team

3" 0 injur" is also forcing me to take a ste! back and re-evaluate m" involvement on the

team @! to this !oint, I've alwa"s been a soccer !la"er I have other interests, but nothing that I'm

extremel" !assionate about Now that I'm not !racticing three times a week, however, I have more time to

dedicate to figuring out and ex!loring other !assions . and, at the same time, further defining m" identit"

as a !erson


10/14

Nick Shereikis

ay 31, 2015

#oda" we !la"ed the 0rlington 7 team, who we demolished without a !roblem last season . and,

I'm glad to sa", took care of this season as well #he score was onl" 5-6, but we never looked in danger of

conceding a goal and our !assing and s!eed of !la" was much higher than it's been all season

0rlington didn't look that confident, and the" came out slow ur offense uickl" !ushed them

back into their own half, where the" sta"ed on the defensive for most of the game ur first goal came in

the first half when our right midfielder saw the o!!ortunit" to bomb a ball into the to! left corner of the

goal from roughl" 26 "ards out ur second goal came from a nice little link-u! !la" that sent our forward

into a one-on-one situation with their goalkee!er *e won the game, finished in high s!irits, and coach

was ha!!" It was a good da" all around

I did m" normal !acing u! and down the line, including hel!ing the defense set u! for a corner

kick Nobod" was talking and ever"bod" was just standing around until I got !eo!le to tell each other

which !la"ers the" were marking and set u! !ro!erl", after which the team easil" !um!ed the ball back

awa" from our goal and we launched a counter attack I also hel!ed coach decide on which formation to

use, and even argued with the referee a little (what's he going to do, eject meG I'm not even !la"ing this

season) 3ore and more I'm feeling like an assistant coach, which is a ver" different role than ca!tain

I've decided to use m" newfound time during the week to ste! u! m" involvement in other

activities I'm !racticing !iano much more now than I ever have before, and I've also submitted an

a!!lication to become a founding member of a new statewide "outh leadershi! forum that's !artnering

with Sugar 8ree Eids to target and ex!ose big soda marketing Not onl" am I finding other wa"s to fill m"

time, but I'm tr"ing to do so in a manner that continues to hel! m" leadershi! skills develo! and also

im!actsAbenefits the communit"

I attribute m" new activities . es!eciall" m" a!!lication to Sugar 8ree Eids . to the confidence

that the #akoma $ark %angers has given me #he team has reall" taught me to not onl" be a leader, but

also a lot about grou! d"namics and how to be confident in m" own abilities I'd like to a!!l" these skills

elsewhere to have a ho!efull" broader im!act on the communit", and this new organiation seems to be a

good wa" to do it


11/14

Nick Shereikis

June 7, 2015

*ell, it's the last da" of the s!ring season again *e just ended our season with another >-> tie,

this time against the 34S $atriots I'm not reall" going to talk about the game that much, because it was

extremel" mediocre and not ver" exciting 0s it turns out, we've managed to end the season not onl" in

the exact same !lace as last season . sixth . but also with the same number of !oints (>5) *e even

concededfewergoals than last season as well (although we also scored fewer) 0ll in all, not a bad

season

3" rehab is going !rett" well I'm going to !h"sical thera!" three times a week at 3etro

rtho!edics H S!orts #hera!" (3S#), and I'm slowl" getting better 7oth m" legs (although m" left in

!articular), have seriousl" atro!hied from lack of use I'm working on strengthening m" knee, but also

rebuilding and develo!ing muscle in m" hamstrings, uads, and glutes #he"'re still sa"ing I should be

back in action within six months, although I seriousl" doubt that 0drian $eterson and %III recovered

from 0 injuries in six months, and the"'re !rofessional football !la"ers with the best medical treatment

in the world 3ost !eo!le I've talked to were out at least >> months before the" were cleared to !la", and

a lot of them had to see s!orts thera!ists (as in !s"chologists) because the" were still messed u! mentall"

from the injur" So "eah, I'm not reall" looking forward to the !rocess

I've also been using m" extra time to increase m" !roduction with Silver hi!s nline I've

!ublished roughl" 56 articles in three months I've also been named as one of next "ear's managing

editors, which I'm reall" looking forward to It's "et another o!!ortunit" to !ut the leadershi! skills I've

gained from the #akoma $ark %angers to use in another contextAsetting, and hel! the incoming juniors not

onl" learn what being on the !ublication means, but also ho!efull" develo! as writers as well

7lair soccer tr"outs are also coming u! uickl" +o!efull" I'll be back in time, because I've been

with the !rogram since m" freshman "ear and I'd hate to miss out on m" senior "ear 0s a senior, I should

theoreticall" be starting at center back . and I have a shot at being ca!tain too, since I was m" so!homore

"ear on junior varsit" and did a fairl" good job with it #here's reall" nothing I can do to s!eed u! m"

recover", so at this !oint it's just ho!ing I get back in time to get back in sha!e and hel! lead the 7lair

team


12/14

Nick Shereikis

July 21, 2015

I'm currentl" writing this from the $remier Soccer International cam! at the hristchurch School

in 4irginia I've been here for a cou!le da"s with three teammates from the %angers *e come ever" "ear

as a team, but this "ear it's just the three of us (what with a lot of the team graduating and all) It's a slee!-

awa" soccer cam! that we do ever" "ear, but this "ear we're the oldest !eo!le on cam!us . which means

we're not onl" ex!ected to be some of, if not the best, !la"ers, but also to set an exam!le and hel! run

!ractices and games It's a more minor leadershi! role that I'm sharing with m" friends rather than taking

on b" m"self, but it's again an o!!ortunit" to !ractice the skills I've gained over the "ears

3" knee isn't doing the best right now I !la"ed the entiret" of the first two da"s (it's three, two-

hour sessions a da"), and now I'm sore and starting to lim! again I've been sitting out almost all da", and

I might have to sit out tomorrow as well 7ut at this !oint, I'm kind of used to it I'm hel!ing coach the

"ounger kids and set u! drills and games, and also just enjo"ing watching ever"thing #here're some

extremel" good !la"ers here, and it's fascinating to watch them

ooking forward, this'll !robabl" be m" role with the %angers next season $la"ing when I can,

serving as a ca!tain on the field and off it It's a good benchmark of where I'm at with m" rehabilitation,

and indicative of where I'll be at for 7lair tr"outs in the u!coming weeks It won't uite be the senior "ear

I imagined, but it's better than com!letel" missing out on ever"thing I've been with the 7lair !rogram for

three "ears and !ut in all the work, and I was looking forward to m" role as a starting senior 7ut oh well

I don't want to re!eat m"self too much here, so I'll end this journal here (even though it's a tad short) and

include a !icture from the cam!F


13/14

Nick Shereikis

Au!u"t 12, 2015

#here's no wa" I'll be able to !la" 7lair soccer this season #he first da" of tr"outs was "esterda",

and I could barel" kee! u! /ven the mile warm-u! had m" knee hurting and me winded, and b" the end

of the three hour tr"outs I was lim!ing heavil" I went to m" !h"sical thera!ist toda", and she thinks I

ma" have tendinitis . essentiall", m" 0 is fine, but now m" issues are with the !atellar tendon that the"

cut into to replace m" 0

I talked to the 7lair coach toda", as well +e's extended an invitation . essentiall", he'll !ut me on

the roster and I'll act as a kind of team manager until I'm read" to !la" again, at which !oint he'll work me

back onto the field 0nd even if I'm not read" to !la" at all during the season, he'll let me !la" a cou!le

minutes during our senior night for ceremonial !ur!oses #he downside to all this is that I still have to

come to stud" hall and ever" !ractice, which is a huge commitment 7ut if I can hel! out with the team, I

want to

3" situation also means that I !robabl" won't be able to !la" this season for the %angers either

I'll !robabl" take on the same role as last season in that I'll serve more as an assistant coach than ca!tain,

and do all the same things I did last season I'm kind of ex!ecting it to be more de!ressing this season

though, since I'll be on the verge of !la"ing but unable to . which should be more frustrating than last

season, where I was barel" back from surger"

It's a bad situation all around, and I'm not enjo"ing an" of it #he onl" u!shot is that I'll still be

able to hone m" leadershi! skills throughout the season as well as through Silver hi!s nline 0nd m"

a!!lication for the statewide "outh leadershi! team got acce!ted? *e've met twice alread", and decided

on a team name . #he Sweet #ruth #hings are moving extremel" slowl", but m" ex!erience with grou!

d"namics and leadershi! on the #akoma $ark %angers is !roving invaluable in facilitating conversation

and making decisions about the organiation nce again, m" "ears serving as ca!tain for m" club soccer

team have !re!ared me well to work with others in an organiation com!letel" different from an"thing

I've ever done before It's reall" shown me that the life skills and attributes I've gained from !la"ing with

the %angers are valuable and effective in all areas of m" life, not just m" athletic career


14/14

Nick Shereikis

Au!u"t 24, 2015

I'm done with 7lair soccer I know in m" last journal entr" the coach and I had worked out a wa"

to kee! me involved, but after attending !ractices and some scrimmages, that's not what I want I've been

setting u! drills and shagging balls, acting as a linesman during scrimmages and getting water for !eo!le

I wanted to hel! out, but it's de!ressing to be nothing more than a manager when, if ever"thing had gone

normall", I would be a starter on that team 8urthermore, the coach just forced two !la"ers com!eting for

a s!ot on the team to take !enalties against each other, and cut the loser 0nother !la"er was cut from the

team b" fli!!ing a coin I can't su!!ort these kinds of actions If "ou want to cut someone, be a man and

do it 7ut don't hide behind indecision It's cowardl"

I told the coach toda" that I'm out It went better than ex!ected, and I think he res!ected me for

telling him *e ended on decent terms, an"wa", which is good because I have him for anatom" class this

"ear 0nd I'm confident I made the right decision &oing the right thing is as im!ortant as an"thing else

for a leader, and I think I've earned the res!ect of m" friends and teammates b" leaving the team

I've been going to %angers !ractices too I'm shagging balls, setting u! drills, and hanging out

with coach . but here's the difference between m" club team and the school teamF I enjo" m" club team,

and it has a significant im!act on m" life I've learned from m" club teammates and become a better

!erson for it, and I want to do ever"thing I can to hel! them this season I'll do the same thing I did last

season . go to games, hel! coach, and !la" in !ractices when I can #his season, I'll be able to lead b"

exam!le during !ractices and also hel! out from a more managerialAcoaching !ers!ective during games=

combining ever"thing I've learned over the last cou!le of seasons to become a more effective leader

0s the school "ear starts, m" !osition with Silver hi!s nline will also kick into overdrive ike

I said earlier, I'm looking forward to using m" leadershi! skills and abilities to better our !ublication, and

hel! the new staff writers develo! their voices and exercise their !otential

#he Sweet #ruth has come to a grinding halt #he !erson contracted b" Sugar 8ree Eids to lead

the grou! is being slow and unres!onsive, and so nothing's getting done I've contacted him multi!le

times, as well as talking to the other members of the organiation, but to no avail #he "outh summit we

were !lanning for ctober has been !ost!oned and taken the backseat, and it's extremel" frustrating I set

u! a 8acebook grou! to communicate with ever"one (something I first learned how to do and manage

from the %angers), and ho!efull" we can get things moving soon

takoma park rangers

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