Girls’ Soccer Goes From ​“Zero To Hero”

The New Haven Youth Soccer Girls Under 12 and Girls Under 14 teams brought their respective division titles back home, completing a one-year transition, as 13-year-old player Nylah Beyah phrased it, from ​“zero to hero.”

The road to victory was not easy. During the pandemic, the organization lost players, coaches, and teams.

When New Haven Youth Soccer started up their U14 girls team again in the fall of 2021, only five girls showed up on the first day of practice, Coach Nick Murphy said. Desperate to make a full team, he and Assistant Coach Nicole Rodriguez got creative, recruiting players regardless of experience, offering free practices, and having players play up into higher age divisions.

That fall of 2021, both the U12 and the U14 team lost almost every game. They faced teams whose players had been playing their whole lives. On New Haven’s team, many of the girls were learning the game for the first time.

The age gap was another challenge; because of the low numbers, they would play their 11 or 12-year-olds against teams of 14-year-olds.

“There were a lot of bowed heads,” parent Sophia Lafargue recalled.

Coach Nick, however, had a vision. It started with ​“building family first,” getting the parents, players, and community involved and invested in the team.

So during the fall, Assistant Coach Nicole organized community fundraisers to get the girls into a winter league, ultimately raising $1,176 to help cover costs for enrollment and new team uniforms. 

“If it wasn’t for the community, we wouldn’t have been able to get stronger,” she said. 

Through competing in the winter league, adding conditioning training, and increasing practices to three or four times a week, the girls were able to both improve their skills and increase their confidence.

All the extra work paid off. On June 4, the U12 team beat Clinton 5 – 0 to clinch their division title. On June 12, the U14 team followed suit, beating North Haven 6 – 0.

To win so resoundingly against teams that they would not have stood a chance against a year ago was momentous for the coaches, parents, and players.

“One of the things I’ve noticed is that we are often the most diverse team on the field,” Lafargue said. ​“So it was especially great to see them make a comeback. They deserve that. They deserve to see that hard work pays off.”

Through the course of the season, the girls gained much more than just a medal.

Team goalie Paris Muniz started the season never having played soccer before. She was so shy that ​“she wouldn’t even say hi,” Coach Nicole recalled. Now, Paris proudly talks about how she saves penalty kicks while laughing alongside all the other girls.

“She’s reached every milestone,” said Christine Ayso, Paris’s mother. ​“I’m astounded by how much she’s learned and accomplished. She’s always been shy and bashful and she’s really getting out of her shell. It’s beautiful.”

Parents Yesehia Diaz and Leticia Carrillo also spoke to their respective daughters’ growth, citing development in their trust of their instincts, listening skills, and teamwork skills. ​“We live in New Haven, which can be tough,” Diaz said. ​“So to get them involved and keep them doing something that is positive for them is very important.”

“Being on a team, you have to be sisters. You have to be one unit, one family. Being able to build that team bond is most important to me,” Coach Nicole said. 

The evidence of that bond was apparent in all of the girls.

“I love them to death. They are my best friends,” Dariana Crudup, team captain of the U12 and U14 team said. 

“I love everything about this team,” Anna Zempoaltecatl seconded. ​“I love the coaches, the teammates, the jerseys.” 

While the community of the team always comes first, it’s especially sweet when paired with their division championship win. 

“It felt so amazing,” Zempoaltecatl said with a smile. ​“We all knew we couldn’t do it without each other, and so we won the division together.”

New Haven Youth Soccer offers financial aid and scholarships to make soccer accessible to anyone who is interested. If you are interested in registering or want to learn more, click here.