By TIM BIRNEYValley Sports Report
ATHENS — With solid numbers on hand, first-year Athens boys soccer coach Travis Reynard is focused on building team chemistry as preparation for the 2025 season begins.
"We're going to be in the high 20s, possibly 30 players, that's what I'm expecting," said Reynard.
"It's a good number, not too many guys sitting around on the bench.
It allows for everybody to be involved in practice — 11-v-11, full-sided," added Reynard. "We have enough guys to play that, which gives all our guys better experience."
Reynard said it was a busy summer for the program.
"We had them in the weight room as much as possible this summer — three days a week," he said. "Then with the strength program we have here at Athens, we had them in here with our strength coaches during the day.
"And then we had two sessions a week — technical Tuesday we called them, where we focused on technical skills," noted Reynard. "We had open fields on Thursdays, where they could just come out and play, and just keep improving every day.
"A lot of them were involved in other sports, but have committed to soccer over the summer, especially in the spring with our spring soccer season," added Reynard. "It was a good summer."
Reynard said team-bonding and chemistry is essential to his team's success.
"The focus has definitely been trying to get the guys to mesh together," he said. "Some of the freshmen are not use to the intensity or the pressure that comes with it. And some of the freshman may see the field if they continue putting in the work.
"We need the guys to get along and team-bonding as much as possible to make them mesh together," noted Reynard. "It's a big thing, I can't expect them to accomplish anything if they don't get along on the field; that's been our big motto, especially here on Day 1."
Athens will scrimmage at West Scranton on Aug. 19, and will host Odessa-Montour Aug. 25.
The Wildcats will open the regular season Aug. 27 at home against Northeast Bradford.
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PHOTOS BY TIM BIRNEY.
