Creating a championship culture through playing with passion, being disciplined in our actions, and investing in our family.
We are building a unique brand here at Fairview. We are building this program to develop champions on and off the field. We are doing this through defined values, intentional actions and through building authentic relationships. Our brand is defined by Heartwork.
My mission at Fairview is to develop exceptional soccer players and strong leaders, because I believe that the greatest commodity in a community is strong leadership. Leaders who are confident, competent and composed. As the coach of this program, I understand that winning a state championship every year is not a reality. And so, I want to make sure that every player who invests in this program is able to athletic, professional and personal traits that carry far beyond the limitations of the game.
Undefeated seasons and state championships are not always repeatable, as the uncontrollable variables such as rosters, injuries, unlucky moments, acts of God, etc. are not within our ability to control. What is within our ability to control and repeat every year, however, is the effort of defining a culture, empowering leaders, and building a high-performing team. This is the legacy of Heartwork that was built by this team. This legacy is powerful because it has the ability to reach backwards into the past and uplift teammates from years past, and this legacy will continue to empower every player who wears the Fairview jersey in the future.
So now, I would like to be specific in my recognition of the varsity players who built this legacy of Heartwork at Fairview.
I would like to start by recognizing players whose minutes were more limited during the games. What parents, fans, and other outsiders see is what happens on game day, where high-minute players are cheered for and acknowledged for the team’s success, and lower minute players are less recognized. What needs to be understood about our program, and particularly this year, however, Is that everything the 11 players on the field were able to accomplish was only because of the work of all 23 players. Our practices are exceedingly demanding, both physically and tactically. Our highest minute players have been pushed every single day by the players who receive less applause from the bench. But, when these players did come off of the bench they were ready and provided significant value in our biggest games. For example, against boulder high, in our state semifinal, and in the state championship we were able to call on nearly every player in the squad to contribute and guide our team to victory. The depth of this team and the commitment of the entire roster, including many of the JV players, is something for which I am exceedingly proud and I would like to recognize the following players for setting an example of commitment:
Peter: Always has a lot to say, if you were closer to the microphone that he would tell his own story. Slippery Pete scores goals!
Yohei: makes every save look like a world class save. Yohei prepared himself professionally and contribute a great value to our goalkeepers this season.
Tucker: Broke some dude’s face in the boulder high game, and I cannot think of a more appropriate symbol of the grit and effort your brought to our team.
Brandon: Never gets the chance to warm up and can play all 10 field positions at the drop of a hat. Brandon and Owen were always early, always one of the last to leave, always adding value.
Ethan: Calm ability. Technical, calm and composed. I look forward to seeing you step into a big role in the coming season!
Clyde: Creator of nicknames, exclusively practices from beyond 30 yards, and an all-around asset to our culture. Clyde’s positivity and work ethic raised our standard every day.
Owen: Another player who can play almost every position when needed. Owen is one of the players responsible for developing a sense of grit and fight into the squad. Every practice was earned when Owen was an opponent.
Kaj: A senior year full of nagging injuries. Your composed leader ship and acceptance of a teachers role made you a captain amongst the goalkeepers. Yohei and Shane were able to anchor our squad because of your tremendous contribution.
Kai: A young player from whom much is expected. Kai was pushed hard by the captains and coaches this season. He never back down, consistently raised his standard and I know what he’s going to bring in the future will be a result of the grit he built into his game this year.
Milanski: Jake was challenged to be a leader. As an underclassman, Jake did not step into the role as an identified captain, but rather, he chose to make his contributions on the stat sheets. A true leader by example and one of the best players in the state throughout the playoffs.
Miles: An example of consistency and toughness. There is not a better right back in the state of Colorado. You became undeniable this season, and I am looking forward to building the next team with you.
Layne: A classy player who added composure in our most stressful moments. The goal you scored against Boulder could only have been done by someone with your impeccable technique and creativity. I believe that your senior year is going to be a break out here, and I look forward to witnessing what’s in store.
Mckenzie: in a midfield as packed as ours, the coach asked to make tough decisions. Mckenzie made those decisions easy by providing objective impact: when we need a goal, Mckenzie committed to breaking lines, when we needed a tackle (or foul) McKenzie was the hammer, and when we needed skill, Kenzie contributed class.
Jordy: seeing you taking off this field in an ambulance, and later visiting you in the hospital with a destroyed knee and broken tibia and fibula was my lowest moment as a coach at Fairview. Do you remember what you told me after getting out of surgery? You told me that you would come back stronger and that we would win state. Your resilience and class as a player and person or traits that every young player should embody.
Shane: One of the youngest players in our program stepping into a position with the most pressure. I am a mentally proud of how Shane carried the torch from some amazing goalkeepers of this program and for his core goalkeepers on varsity this season. Shane came a big when we needed him and played well beyond his years of maturity.
Henrik: many of you know that Henrik was cut from this program as a freshman and never able to make a top team in the club circuit of Boulder. Yet, Henrik committed himself to a goal of contributing as a varsity player. Well, Henrik, not only did you contribute, but you had to do that through multiple knee injuries and a lot of doubt. You were undeniable this season and you and your family should be tremendously proud of what you accomplished.
This year’s captains are Job Meuleman, Sebastien Mazur, Justus Carter, Louis Kehoe, Mason Sunderland and Tristan Hird. We have strong leaders in our program who guide the teams through daily intentional effort. Each of our captains volunteered for the responsibility of leadership. These young men have guided the FHS program through a tough year of uncertainty and isolation. Their leadership is been thoughtful, focused, and the products of their efforts are going to be visible under the lights for years to come.
Job: Our team’ Swiss Army knife. When we need a big player in a big moment, Job is the one to step forward. Job challenges me almost every day, and without your dialogue, we would not have pushed this team to be champions. You make me a better coach
Seb: Quiet heart of the team. The playing accolades of Sebastian are obvious, as he’s one of the finest players to come through Boulder in the past decade. What’s not as easy to see about Seb (from the stands) is how thoughtful, competitive, and authentic he is as a person. Coaching players of your standard is a partnership, and it has been a humble honor to share a partnership with you over the past two years. We accomplished some pretty cool things.
Justus: Whatever’s necessary. This is what Justus said to me at the start of the season. Never played center bag, and became an all conference player in this position with a tremendous record. You always trusted in the process, and your voice on the field anchored our team with composure and fight.
Mason: I don’t know if I have pushed any player as much as I have pushed Mason Sunderland. I’ve been a thorn in your side since the day we met, because I knew the stigma “only likes to dribble, selfish, not someone to place in a leadership position because of his attitude“. I always felt that stigma was the result of coaches who didn’t take the time to understand. My goal is to build trust with you so that we can prove that stigma wrong. You are a tremendous athlete, and honest person, and you have committed to making changes to your game and your voice to become a true leader who led through example and toughness. I look forward to seeing you succeed at the next level
Louis: and obviously technical soccer player who added two key elements to his game and personality this season: toughness and communication. I believe that we also had the best left back in the game, and we were also fortunate to have one of our toughest leaders anger our defense of block and lead us forward in the attack. You and Miles said the high Mark for top level fullbacks in Colorado. Plus, between you and Justus cracking jokes, I don’t think I could’ve had more fun.
Tristan: A quiet, clearheaded leader. I rely on Tristan to speak efficiently and guide our team with his work ethic. The goal is scored in the final I think it’s a perfect capstone and summary of your journey: hard work, disciplined movement, commitment. I’m going to miss having you around
Our mantra for this year has been:
“We are members of the best team in the state of Colorado. Every action that we take, every decision that we take will lead us to become champions.”
My team is usually a chosen family, but this past year, this team has been my family. To our seniors, it has been a privilege to spend the past few years with you. I look forward to staying in touch with you and witnessing your efforts impact our community for years to come. To the underclassmen rising through the ranks, I look forward to building Heartwork with you and competing under the lights very soon.
And lastly, thank you to all of the families for being a part of this journey.