CHS boys’ soccer team has fun while honing skills

By Steve Carfagna
Staff Writer
Head coach Gene Chyzowych of the Columbia High School boys’ soccer team said there’s a thin line when it comes to his summer regimen.
On one hand, the coach wants to keep his players active so that they are constantly improving and getting better. But at the same time, the coach also wants his players to have fun and enjoy their summers.
And so for Chyzowych, the trick is trying to balance the two during the offseason.
“Sure we’ve been working hard, but for the most part, I like to let
the guys enjoy their summer and have during these two months that they have off because they’re going to be extremely busy in the fall,” he said.
To begin their summer, the legendary coach said his squad traveled to Millburn in the last week of June to participate in a mini-tournament.
“That tournament was a really good experience as it gave our guys the chance to play a few scrimmage-like games,” said the coach, noting his team finished the tournament 1-1-1 as they finished to a scoreless draw with Nutley before beating Westfield 3-1 and losing 2-1 to Whippany Park.
Aside from that tournament, the CHS coach said many of his players also volunteered their services in his two-week camp from July 5 to July 9 and from July 12 to July 16.
“After that, they’ll be playing themselves as we’ll have two camps for the older kids,” commented the coach who talked about the camps that will run from Aug. 9 to Aug. 13 and Aug. 16 to Aug. 20. “At the camps, we’ll be doing clinics and working on skills and fundamentals while providing an intro to the game both technical and tactical.”
At the camps, Chyzowych said he expected anywhere from 80 to 100 players there for each of the three teams at the high school.
“With the members from the freshman, junior varsity and varsity teams there, we always get a real good turnout,” he said. “And aside from just working hard, we’ll also be having fun, playing games and taking part in a few scrimmages.”
In addition to the tournament and camps, the longtime coach said his players were taking part in captain practices twice a week during the evenings.
Chyzowych said this year’s group had the luxury of having a real good number of soon-to-be seniors who have assumed leadership roles.
For starters, the squad will be led by its five senior captains in sweeper Connor Ewald, stopper Jack Podhortz, goalkeeper Sam Skoller, forward Jeremy Witherspoon and forward Luke Horowitz.
Similarly, defender Matt Gardner, midfielder Kai Greene, fullback Emmanuel Ntow-Mensah and midfielder Max Nichols were other rising seniors who are expected to lead the way along with junior midfielders Hunter Klein and Mark Yearick.
“With such a good core of players back, we have the highest of expectations for the upcoming season, and if we work hard, we could have a great season,” Chyzowych said.
Notably, the coach said tryouts for either of the three boys’ soccer teams would take place at Ritzer Field at Columbia High School Aug. 21 at 9 a.m.