The Fairhope U12 boys squad, coached by Jamie Ferguson, is a special group of young men who have a passion for the game, are coachable, and want to learn. Emphasizing skill development and increasing their soccer IQ over wins and losses, Ferguson says the boys have taken to his approach with verve. “The players are a delight to coach. These young men would play all day every day if allowed,” says Ferguson. “I am pleased with how the players and parents understand this and authentically bought into the process. I can truly say that the players have grown as students of the game, and most importantly they still love the game!” From a technical perspective, Ferguson says the challenge in 2016 was to introduce the players to the concept of building from the back. He added this concept was “a leap of faith,” since it required the young men to put themselves into vulnerable situations. For instance, regardless of the score or the time remaining in the game, Ferguson required the team to play from the back, even if it meant losing some games in the process. Instead, consistency and encouragement are vital to successful maturation of the team and individual players. “Our goal was to learn how to build from the back, and play out of problems,” Ferguson says. “Each game, we measured our success on how well we performed in those areas — not winning. “At this age, it is unnatural for a player to be sacrificial. However, it is rewarding for the players when they begin to grasp the concept,” he adds. “As the weeks went by and the players grew in confidence, it was evident that they were comfortable with our style. As their coach, it was rewarding to watch them proactively move to receive the ball and purposefully move the ball.” LEFT TO RIGHT Baylor Beard, Gethyn Evans, Jonah Rubio, Cooper Middleton, Gray Smith, Carter Willis, Drake Potier, Luke Ferguson, Thomas Cunningham, Campbell MacKellar, Peyton Steed, Matheus Siqueira Coach: Jamie Ferguson