Going gets tough for JFK Lady Bears

By: Jennifer Orr

When the going gets tough, the team needs to get tough, too. At least that’s the way the JFK Lady Bears varsity soccer team sees things as a group in a highly challenging division.

And so, for the Lady Bears, practice has been a big part of their day-to-day activities. Two solid hours of practice and a half hour of conditioning everyday have become part of the norm for every member on the team.

“Practice, conditioning, skill work,” said coach Rich Mattison, who has taught physical education classes to 14 of the 20 girls on the team since they were in third grade. “I always emphasize that they have to practice the way they expect to play.”

Many of the Lady Bears have played soccer together for years, which can be highly beneficial for the team. Mattison called attention to a new kind of spirit within the team – a new attitude, he says.

“The attitude is different in this year’s team. They’re coming in this year expecting to win more than they have in the past. They want to do it, they know they can do it, they’ve been working hard,” he explained. Among this season’s top players are seniors Emily McGee and Krysta Wiess. McGee, a forward, is probably one of the fastest kids in the state according to Mattison, who added that she is a top prospect for college track teams. Wiess, also a forward, is known for her agility and exceptional ball handling skills among her coaches and teammates.

Other leading players on this year’s roster include senior midfielders Sarah Kapanek and Erin Kraus, and sophomore defensemen Ashley Wieczorek,Katelyn Sikora. Between the team rookies and veterans, there is the right amount of everything – equal parts experience and enthusiasm.

Mattison has one prediction for JFK’s season opener at Lackawanna High School on Wednesday, Sept. 7, which is “to come out hard, play hard, and win the game.”

And as for Mattison’s thoughts on his players, many of whom he has known since their elementary school days: “It’s nice to be coaching at a varsity level with a bunch of girls who are not only good players, but also good people.”