Winter dedication pays off in soccer championship

The Baymen Thunder Girls were the U10: 2024 Long Island Futsal champions.

Futsal is a winter league played indoors and Long Island Junior Soccer is the travel league for Long Island.

The team started off in Division 2 and rose to the premier league, the highest league in Long Island Junior Soccer.

Over the winter, the players took no time off for training and practice, which earned them the Futsal League Championship.

“As a coach, the most important thing I try to teach is being a team player and coachable. Once you are committed to a team-first approach and can listen to constructive criticism, then we can work on the skills necessary to become a good player. All the girls on this team are hard working and have a team-first approach,” said coach, Michael Devane.

“They pull for one another and have grown as a team tremendously over the last two years. As a coach, I try to find a balance of making sure the girls are having fun and enjoying themselves, but also learn the importance of working hard, which will result in success on and off the field,” said Devane.

Parents play a key, critical role in the success of the athletes, and Thunder’s parents created “an amazing atmosphere,” according to Devane.

“They are so supportive of the team, getting the girls to practice and sacrificing their time on the weekends for league games and tournaments. They have done a great job fundraising for many extra tournaments that the girls play throughout the year. Our team chemistry is amazing because of the dedication and support the parents on Thunder have given,” said Devane.

A strong team bond, cultivated by the grueling work in practice, Devane said the athletes “push each other to be their best… Off the field, both the players and parents enjoy spending time with each other.”