Men’s Soccer Team Travels Abroad

John Smith

“It’s a religion,” says junior Samuel Thomas, searching for terminology significant enough to describe the British attitude towards soccer. “People here [in the U.S.] think football is so big, baseball is so big. Soccer over there—that’s big.”

This August, the Principia College men’s soccer team took an eight-day trip to England. Three coaches and seventeen players traveled around the country, holding regular practices and playing matches. “The trip allowed us to start bringing together the core of the team and building a foundation for the new season,” says head coach Vitalis Otieno, expressing gratitude for this time of “working together, being together, training together.”

But of course teambuilding can be done within the borders of the United States. Otieno says his primary goal for traveling abroad was to give his players an understanding of the significance of soccer, something more readily evident in the UK. “[The players] get immersed in soccer culture—living, breathing the game,” he notes. “They can see what it takes to be the player they think they want to be.”

A highlight for many on the trip was taking in a Premiere League opening-day game between Manchester United and Newcastle. “It was euphoric. It was just priceless,” comments Otieno, who openly admits to having done his best to convert his players into Manchester United fans. “The Manchester United game was definitely a highlight for all of us,” confirms Thomas, “whether we were fans or not.” Other memorable experiences included training in professional soccer stadiums with professional soccer club coaches, and meeting Andy Cole (standing in the center of the photo), a former high goal scorer for Manchester United.

Otieno asks his players for “dedication, commitment, and passion.” The trip was meant to develop the third, which he says is critical. “It’s a lot easier to be dedicated, to be committed,” he notes. If Thomas’s experience is any indication, the coach’s goal was met. “[The trip] definitely influenced our mental approach,” he comments. “The activities we did, the teams we played, everything—it was inspirational.”