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SPORTS
N.J. team backed by wisdom of world-class soccer player
Retired US Olympic and National Team midfielder Tab Ramos, left, with his under 14 boys team NJSA04 United Friday, July 3, 2009, at the Barboursville Soccer Complex and Scott Orthopedic Soccer Complex at the YMCA Kennedy Center.
BARBOURSVILLE -- All tournament teams are feeling the pressure to win a title at the US Youth Soccer Region I Championships this week at the Barboursville Soccer Complex.
But for one team from New Jersey, that pressure is intensified.
The NJSA '04 United U-14 boys soccer team has a world class star at the helm -- former U.S. National team member Tab Ramos, whose son Alex plays on the team.
Displaying a calm demeanor like his father, Alex Ramos said the added intensity to their matches with other teams isn't all bad.
"It's a little bit of both because everyone is expecting -- you know, this is Tab's team. They are going to be amazing," Alex Ramos said. "That puts pressure on us, but it motivates us to show everyone our stuff."
Tab Ramos is one of few players in the world to say they participated in three World Cups and an Olympic games for their country.
He had one of the longest and most storied careers in U.S. soccer history, but now he is seeing the game from several different perspectives -- none of which involve him on the field.
Tab Ramos said the transition has not been easy. He admitted never having an affinity for coaching before, but after friends convinced him to get involved, it is something he cherishes as much as his playing days.
"I wasn't sure I wanted to. Then I started getting involved and you develop a friendship with the kids and want to help them along," he said. "You see them improve and it drives you to continue to do things. The last three, four, five years have been a great ride for me being directly involved with kids."
Still, there is one particular aspect of this year's job as coach that Tab Ramos said he can't wait to get past. Currently, he is not only the coach, but also a team father -- a dual role he doesn't believe should mesh.
"It is something I try to avoid. I took my son off my team for a year, then I had to come back with the club and coach the same team he's on this year," the elder Ramos said. "To be honest, I think the parents coaching the kids is not a healthy thing.
"I'd rather concentrate on my son making his bed and doing his homework instead of making runs and covering people. I'd rather save my yelling for that side of it."
Alex Ramos and his friends laughed and played prior to their match on Friday -- a 1-0 win over Delaware's Hockessin Heat.
If the pressure of playing for a World Cup competitor was there, it sure wasn't evident as they joked with members of the media and each other about who should be the spokesperson for the group.
That spokesperson turned out to be team captain Nigel Joseph, who said having a coach with such experience only helps with exposure for the next level.
"He's been trying to get us all to work our hardest at all times in every game, especially the few of us that he thinks are good enough to go all the way," Joseph said. "He uses his experiences to make us understand what we should do."
All the talk from the team members and parents was about the potential of achieving a Region I title. Ironically, it was the biggest competitor of them all -- Tab Ramos -- who slowed down talk of a championship.
"I want the kids to enjoy the moment. Win or lose today, we are going to go out and have fun with our families and have dinner here in West Virginia," he said.
"Down the road, we will really remember the experience of being here more than the actual result."
