In the strangest soccer season in 101 years since goal-ace Sinkey Sullivan led Bethlehem Steel to a national title in 1919 (REALLY!, look it up…) the Surf 05/06B Elite Blue boys have been showing up week after week with resilience, spirit, skill and enthusiasm for the game and club we all love. It was a rocky start; no meaningful tryouts and a transition year where players really begin to decide for themselves if this is their sport. With returning core players from 06B Elite, Head Coach Frank Hempenstall was looking to add quality players to the roster and build on the team’s success over the previous six or seven years and put the team in the best shape to compete whenever that opportunity opens. We were happy to see Carson Newman, Aryan Rajessh, Eric Herasymchuk, Eoin Hempenstall, Diego Sandoval, Tyler McLean, Kiefer Vu, JT Remolona and Amal Padhye return; and Wyatt Norman and Owen Gillick join.

We grow and adapt in difficult times and Surf 05B Blue team was having similar struggles. In a stroke of genius Coach Rino Chimenti (05B Premier) suggested combining age groups in what we can all recognize now as “Covid-innovation” and Surf 05/06B was born. A strong group of 05 players from the surrounding community round out this exciting new team and it has been great to see the talents that Jack Austin, Jack Falen, Rylan Stanley, JT Alioto, Michael Goette, and Dominick Comer bring.

The 06 boys are looking forward to playing up, but this is not the first time the team has done so – it was formed in the first year that Folsom Soccer Club had a u8 Academy and played u9 that year. A couple of those u8 players are now back after splitting for age-pure play and recombining this year!

This team has had a lot of fun and success over the years. League and State Cup Championships, tons of tournaments and great games against high level teams, including an impressive run to the semi-finals in State-Premier last year. Our families have been an integral to that success. It has been great to add new families to the group and we are looking forward to hot summer tournaments, cold and wet State Cup play-offs and holiday weekend getaways where we will enjoy watching the boys compete and grow as athletes, friends and young-men.

In a year of endless practices, keeping things interesting is always a challenge but Assistant Coach Jon Remolona has been putting the boys through their paces and if you haven’t tried plyometrics (jump training) for socially distanced group fitness, the boys can tell you how much fun that is!!