For boys entering grades 10, 11 and 12:  All tryouts at Wakeman B

• Saturday, August 24   7:30-10 a.m. AND 3-5 p.m.
• Sunday, August 25   8-10 a.m. AND 3-5 p.m.
• Monday, August 26  8-10 a.m. AND 3-5 p.m.

“We will take as long as needed to get a good look at everyone,” says head coach Dan Woog.  “And to look good, candidates should be fit and ready.”

All candidates should attend each session, and bring a ball, water and shin guards.  Permission and physical forms HAR-3 and C must be completed, handed in to the nurses’ office and approved before the 1st tryout — no one can take the field without acceptance of these forms.  Click here to download the forms.

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For boys entering Grade 9:  All tryouts at Wakeman B

• Saturday, August 24   12-2 p.m.
• Sunday, August 25  12-2 p.m.
• Monday, August 26:    12-2 p.m.

Coach Chris O’Dell will take as long as needed to get a good look at everyone.  No decisions will be made until at least the 1st 3 sessions.

All candidates should attend each session, and bring a ball, water and shin guards.  Permission and physical forms HAR-3 and C must be completed, handed in to the nurses’ office and approved beforethe 1st tryout — no one can take the field without acceptance of these forms.  Click here to download the forms.

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Questions?  Call head coach Dan Woog (203-227-1755), or email dwoog@optonline.net. 

Charlie Leonard, Connor Weiler, Matt Bateman and Robby Giannone, during 2012 tryouts. All will be seniors this fall.

The 4th annual Preston Hirten Memorial Weekend begins Thursday night, July 4th, and ends Sunday, July 7th. The holiday weekend should attract an even bigger crowd than usual to honor the memory of the former Staples star.

Preston helped the Wreckers to the FCIAC championship and state finals in 2006. He died in 2009, on the soccer field at the University of Mary Washington.

The weekend includes social gatherings at private homes, beaches and bars, and a 7-v-7 round-robin tournament at Wakeman (Saturday, July 6, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.).

Players include Preston’s teammates from Staples, Mary Washington and Beachside, plus current high school players.

After the tournament, everyone is invited to a cookout at Compo Beach.

More details will follow. To be added to the mailing list, contact matthew.c.lamb@gmail.com.

Preston’s teammates and friends relax after the 2012 tournament.

James Hickok heads north to Dartmouth College, while Harry Birch goes south to Bucknell University.

They’re 2 of the 11 Wreckers who graduate next month. The list also includes:

• Noah Bender (University of Vermont)
• Ethan Bradeen (University of Connecticut)
• Jon Denowitz (University of Michigan)
• Joe Greenwald (University of Connecticut)
• Sam Koenig (College of William & Mary)
• Matt Liebergall (Northwestern University)
• Ryan Petersen (Pennsylvania State University)
• Greg Shikowitz (Marist College)
• Andrew Travers (College of Charleston)

“We are proud of, and excited for, all our graduates,” said head coach Dan Woog. “They’ve chosen schools that are great fits for each of them.”

A dozen former Wreckers will play college soccer next fall, including Colgate, Columbia, Navy, Notre Dame, Southern Connecticut, Trinity, Washington University and WPI.

Since the program’s founding in 1958, approximately 200 players have gone on to play in college. Dozens became captains; several played professionally.

Staples grads Mike Noonan ’79  (Clemson) and Ken Murphy ’76 (Connecticut College) are currently coaching at the college level.

After describing the kindness of Westporters like Dr. Mal Beinfield, Dr. Richard Sands and Rev. Don Hodges, Kenan wrote about his 1st day at Bedford Middle School. Principal Glenn Hightower introduced him to other 7th graders.

I had a foreign name, strange accent and could barely speak the language. I felt scared and pathetic, like a mutt waiting to be adopted. I was immediately befriended by Miguel Peman, a Catholic Spanish-American student, who offered me a seat.

A few years later, Miguel was a Staples varsity soccer player.

He lives in Madrid now, but clearly his impact in Westport lives on.

Miguel Peman

It hit Brian and Annette Sullivan especially hard. For them, Newtown is home.

For the past 20 years, Brian — a member of Staples’ Class of 1982 — and Weston High grad Annette have operated Zoar Ridge Stables.

Nestled on 30 hilly acres in the heart of Sandy Hook, the facility — with 3 outdoor rings, an indoor ring and a hunt field — has long attracted riders of all abilities and ages.

But children have always been Brian and Annette’s favorites. They have 2 girls of their own, and they loved the children who came to Zoar Ridge for lessons, summer camps and horse parties.

The couple did more than provide rides. They taught hundreds of Newtown kids the responsibilities of owning a horse. Children were expected to help groom and pick up after the animals. It was a win-win-win situation, for the Sullivans, the youngsters and the horses too.

Many Zoar Ridge kids attended Sandy Hook Elementary School. One of Brian and Annette’s students was killed in the shooting. Several others had siblings who died.

It was a terrible day for the Sullivans. But that weekend, they opened their stable for kids to ride.  “We just wanted some place where they could get away from the press, the attention — everything,” Annette says.

As they rode, brushed horses or did crafts projects Annette organized nearby, they started talking. Some spoke about what they’d seen. Others expressed fears for their friends, or the future.

“I’m not a therapist,” Annette notes. “My goal is just to provide happiness. But because the horses gave kids a place to feel comfortable, I realized we could do a lot more than we thought.”

She had heard about “horse therapy” — the formal term for equine-assisted psychotherapy — so she reached out, to professionals and through Facebook, to learn more.

She discovered that equine specialists select the appropriate horse for each client. Working on the ground — not in the saddle — therapists guide children through customized sessions.

With EAGALA — an international non-profit equine therapy organization — she worked with local resident Jimmy Downes to develop a program at Zoar Ridge.

That evolved into Embrace Hope — Sandy Hook Equine Assisted Therapy, a foundation aimed at providing funds and facilities to Sandy Hook victims and siblings for years to come.

“Right now, everyone is offering their services pro bono,” Annette says. (Including Miggs Burroughs, who designed a logo featuring 26 stars — 1 for every student and educator killed that day — reaching skyward.)

“But what about when these kids get to be 10 or 12 years old? We need a way to pay for this long-term.”

EGALA teams from all over New England have helped. Nearly 20 families are involved so far.

“This is not ‘hug a horse,’” Annette emphasizes. “It’s structured, but it’s based on where the kids are, and where they are going.”

In one session, Annette says, a child was asked to lead her horse “to school.” The girl said, “But what if he doesn’t want to go to school that day?” The youngster’s fears about school were addressed by the therapist through the horse.

In another session, a boy hurled balls at hoops, knocking them over. Then — petting a horse — he calmed down.

One Zoar Ridge horse has only one eye. “Watching him deal just fine with life — despite what happened — is great for the kids to see,” says Annette.

The Sullivans have not been immune to their own tragedy. Just before Thanksgiving in 2009, their beautiful home near the stables burned to the ground.

But their Embrace Hope Foundation is the current focus of their lives.

“Feeling like we’re helping the kids of Sandy Hook is huge,” Annette says with passion.

“These are 5- and 6-year-olds whose sense of security has been shattered. The fact that they can come here, play with horses, get some help and have fun is just so important.”

(To learn more about Embrace Hope — Sandy Hook Equine Assisted Theraphy Foundation, click here.)

Daniel Alvarez — the father of Jason Alvarez ’03 — died peacefully on Friday, April 19, at Connecticut Hospice in Branford. He was 65.

Daniel Alvarez

Born on Feb. 9, 1948 in Bogota, Colombia, he moved to the United States when he was 17. He was a resident of Westport for the past 30 years. He was a tax accountant, a golfer and a very avid soccer fan.

Survivors in addition to his son include his wife Mary, who works in the curriculum center for the Westport Board of Education; his daughter Katherine DiLeo and her husband Rocco of West Harrison, N.Y.; his brother Misael Alvarez and his wife Karin, and 2 sisters, Margo Alvarez and Julia Alvarez all of Bogota, Colombia.

Friends are invited to pay their respects at the Harding Funeral Home, 210 Post Road East in Westport on Tuesday,  April 23 (5-9 p.m.). A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at St. Luke Church in Westport on Wednesday, April 24 at 10 a.m. Interment will follow in Assumption Cemetery, 73 Green’s Farms Road.

Memorial contribution in lieu of flowers may made to the Whittingham Cancer Center 24 Stevens St., Norwalk, CT 06856.C ondolences for the Alvarez family may be left at http://www.hardingfuneral.com.

The Kennedy Stadium evening match features former players from both squads. Players pay $20 to participate. All proceeds benefit Bridgeport soccer programs.

Dave Sharpe ’07 has put together a solid team, but a few spots remain open. Anyone interested in playing (all ages welcome) should email david.sharpe@thomsonreuters.com.

Central High head coach Jay Silverman came up with the idea. Staples head coach Dan Woog eagerly embraced it.

“Our teams have always battled hard — and we’ve always had great respect for Central,” Woog said. “It will be fun to renew this rivalry — and for a fantastic cause.”

Spectators are welcome!

Last night, Joe Greenwald attended the opening of “Motown: The Musical.” Afterward, he hung out with Bono.

Joe Greenwald (right) and Bono.

Then, as the Commodores played for the after-party, the 2012 co-captain busted out some nasty dance moves.

Meanwhile, Joe’s brother Charlie — who played 2 years of Staples soccer, and is now a student at Emerson College — has been honing his comedic skills. Enjoy the video below!

Head coach Dan Woog contacted Newtown’s Parks & Recreation Department. Joe took it from there.

Today, Joe and fellow Wreckers Diego Alanis, Harry Birch, Jon Denowitz and Jack Scott — plus Joe’s Everton teammates Jack Fisher of Darien and Jamie Stratton from Trumbull — spent 2 hours at Treadwell Park.

They worked on scoring and 5-v-5, and played World Cup and a big game with 30 boys and girls in elementary schools. Some attend Sandy Hook.

“It was great!” Joe says. “We had a lot of fun, and the kids were really into it. It was a really good day all around, for all of us.”

Jon, his wife Bridget and their family live in Fairfield. Jon — a key member of the 1988 FCIAC championship team who went on to play soccer at Skidmore College — is a sales executive with EDR, the environmental data firm.

Ellery is already a big sister to William.

Mike Leahy P’89

Born in Laconia, New Hampshire, he lived in Stonington for the past decade. He previously resided in West Hartford and Westport, where one of his favorite activities was watching his son play with the Wreckers and his club teams.

Mike was a member of 2 Laconia High School state championship ski teams, and was a nationally ranked water ski jumper in the 1950s. He graduated from the University of Connecticut.

Professionally, Mike spent 25 years in the advertising business in New York and London. He was executive vice president and managing director at Saatchi & Saatchi, and held earlier positions with Young & Rubicam, Needham Harper & Steers and Dancer Fitzgerald Sample.

His clients included P&G, Bristol-Myers, Sara Lee, M&M Mars, Xerox and the United States Olympic Committee.

In 1991, Mike launched his own consulting business, providing marketing services to Connecticut Departments of Labor, Health and Tourism, The Newspaper Association of America, Drugs Don’t Work!, Special Olympics World Games, Forbes, Business Week and 3 Connecticut governors through the Connecticut Economic Resource Center.

Mike served on the board of directors for Special Olympics Connecticut, Stonington Free Library, Stonington Village Improvement Association and Stonington Harbor Yacht Club.

In addition to his wife, Deborah Kotchen, he is survived by 2 children from a former marriage with Carol Leahy of Westport, daughter Wendy
Leahy and her husband Michael Grand of Brooklyn, N.Y.; son Michael Leahy and his wife Aimee of Brooklyn, N.Y.; 3 step-children, and 5 beloved grandchildren, including Mia Leahy.

Mike was an avid sailor and skier with boundless energy, and his sense of humor, selflessness and kind heart will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

A memorial service celebrating his life will be held at 11 a.m. April 20, at the Calvary Church in Stonington.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of J. Michael Leahy to Special Olympics Connecticut, 2666 State St., Hamden, CT 06517.

Matt Bateman, Foster Goldberg, Ethan Kobak and Sterling Price were the biggest point winners. They finished 2nd in the small-team tournament part of the competition, then won the big game at the end, for a total of 13 points.

Also on the winning big team at the end: George Kokkalis, Gabe Pensak and Yousef Shahin. Victors in the 1st tournament were Diego Alanis, Robby Giannone, Noah Schwaeber and Jack Scott.

Daniel Boyce retains his overall lead at the Octathlon’s midway mark, with 38 points. But Jack Scott vaults into 2nd place (35 poitns), followed closely by Sterling Price (32) and Sebo Hood (30).

Behind them are Bobby Jacowleff and George Kokkalis (26), Diego Alanis (25), Matt Bateman and Foster Goldberg (24), Yousef Shahin (20), Steven Sobel (18), Noah Schwaeber (17), Andrew Puchala (16), Ethan Kobak (13), Robby Giannone and Gabe Pensak (12), Ryan Ruggiano (11), James Rubin (9), Charlie Leonard (7), Nate Argosh (6), Connor Weiler (2) and Patrick Beusse, Jordan McNair and Michael Reid (1).

Connor Weiler organized this month’s Octathlon. Next up: 3-v-3 basketball, arranged by George Kokkalis.

Charlie Leonard, ready to peg someone.

Staples also features prominently in Woog’s most recent book, We Kick Balls: True Stories from the Youth Soccer Wars. And it’s part of Eric, Doris Lund’s memoir of her son, a Brien McMahon player who died of leukemia.

Now there’s another entry in the ouevre. Daniel Lilie’s Soccer in the Weeds: Bad Hair, Jews, and Chasing the  Beautiful Game is an account of growing up as a soccer player in the 1970s. Though he went to Westhill High School, Staples soccer played an important role in his life.

Lilie devotes a number of pages to “superstrong” Staples — a team with a “mystique,” and a “verdant, expansive campus.” Lilie recalls being intimidated by the Wreckes’ warm-ups (both their gear and the way they got ready for a match), as well as a game field that was “like Wembley.”

He recalls players like the “monsters” Steve Dickstein, Andy Simon and Charlie Perlwitz — “all about 6 feet more and skilled” — as well as “the arrogant and combative Murphy brothers, Ken and Kevin…fair and angelic looking, but direct and skilled players who played angry.”

Phil Moen was “a sylph of a guy who was so fast and elusive that our entire back 4 were at his mercy.”

The 1974 Staples team included (from left) Charlie Perlwitz, Dave Wilson, Phil Moen, Andy Simon, Ken Murphy and Kevin Murphy.

Lilie calls Albie Loeffler

a brilliant coach. He had great players, but as a unit, Staples played a style that was as close to Dutch total football as I have ever seen, certainly from a high school team. They were interlinked, superfast blond dervishes. They played triangles to perfection, drawing us into a flat defensive scheme and continually shooting the gaps with perfectly weighted passes.

Lilie developed an “obsession” with Staples soccer, he says. “What they had, in addition to a formidable soccer team, was an esprit de corps. They were a team, with a real coach, who understood tactics and training and technique.”

Four Murphy brothers played for Westport’s famed U-23 Bridge Grille team. Kneeling (from left): Dennis and Ken. Standing: Kevin and Ed.

Lilie spends many pages talking about Westport’s early Recreation Commission teams; the town itself; the 1,000 or more fans who turned out for big games; and many of those Staples-Westhill games themselves. (In the 1975 state tournament, the Vikings became the 1st team to score a non-penalty kick goal against Staples at home all year.)

Later in the book, Lilie talks about summer soccer — including Westport’s legendary U-23 Bridge Grille team, as well as the NASL career of Paul Hunter ’73.

The book is not just about Staples soccer, of course. Here’s a blurb on the back — from fellow author Fred Cantor:

Lilie illuminates why soccer has a hold on so many people around the world…Part memoir and part essay, the book is a fascinating journey through 4 decades of both American soccer and American society.

Click here to order Soccer in the Weeds: Bad Hair, Jews, and Chasing the Beautiful Game.

Steven Sobel

Governor’s Scholars are invited to a luncheon with Governor Dannel Malloy on May 16. Staples principal John Dodig will also attend.

Governor’s Scholars must rank in the top 5 percent of the junior class, and write an essay on an assigned topic.

This year, students were asked to choose 3 challenges the United States must face. Steven wrote about educational disparity and inequality; preservation of natural resources, and the electrical grid.

In addition to soccer, Steven runs indoor and outdoor track, plays cello, and is a member of the Service League of Boys (SLOBS) and the Wreckers in Tune music organization.