With the start of the JCC Maccabi Campus Games fast approaching, we begin the first of our Team Maccabi GB previews by looking at the U15 Boys Blue football team who will be heading stateside at the end of the month.
Eleven players will be taking part in the seven-a-side event, who will be managed by Jacob Barron and coached by Ali Chin.
Happy with the mostly London-based squad they’ve assembled, Barron says: “The abilities of the boys at the trials were fantastic, which did make it a little bit difficult to decide between certain players, but I feel the choices we made have put together a very strong squad.”
Some of those selected do have previous experience of this competition, having participated at last year’s event in Houston, with two of this year’s squad set to make their first appearance at a JCC Games. Chin says: “Most of the team this year came last year to the JCC Games and had various success, with one team making the Shield final and the other reaching the cup quarter-finals. There are boys playing for Walthamstow and Wingate & Finchley, while some of them play at a high level for their school team and have been national champions in their age group for the last three seasons.”
Describing how they’ve been preparing for the JCC Games, Barron says: “We’ve had around seven training sessions and one full friendly against Aldenham U15s, which we won 9-3. We’ve also had a team meeting day where all of the JCC athletes got a chance to meet each other, as well as our kit day which the boys enjoyed thoroughly.” Chin adds: “We’ve been training for quite a while which has been great preparation for the tournament and will be continuing to do so, going into more detail of tactics and solutions we can turn to in game situations.”
Looking forward to taking part in the event, Barron says: “The boys are very excited for the opportunity to participate in an international competition and are also extremely proud to be representing Great Britain.
“I hope the boys have a great all-round experience of both intense competition and the chance to get to know other Jewish people of their age from other parts of the world, hopefully making lasting friendships.”
Describing how they’re feeling, Chin says: “They seem to be really excited and have a mentality of wanting to win and bring back a gold medal for Team Maccabi GB. I hope they will gain a lot from the experience and understand what it takes to be a successful team.”
As to what they expect from the other teams they will face, Barron says: “From experience we know that the Argentinian and Mexican teams are often our fiercest rivals with very close and hard-fought games. This year the football matches will be played on indoor pitches, which will mean the weather shouldn’t be a major factor in our performance.”
Agreeing with his thoughts, Chin says: “I feel Mexico and Argentina will be our biggest rivals as they were last year, as they provide strong competition. We’re lucky this time as three of the four venues are indoor domes with air conditioning, but I feel our ability on the day will make the other team chase us instead of the other way around.”
Speaking on a personal level as to what it means to them to be leading the side, Barron says: “I’m incredibly lucky to be managing my squad as I get to watch them participate in an event that will hopefully stay with them always. And on a personal note, I’m thrilled the Games are being held in Pittsburgh as I’m a big fan of the American football team the Pittsburgh Steelers.”
Looking at it from a slightly different perspective, Chin says: “As a non-Jewish person taking the team, I can see the Jewish values within Maccabi GB. And it means a lot to me that the Head of Delegation has put their trust in myself to lead this team to hopefully a really successful tournament.”
And as to what they hope the boys take from the Games, Barron says: “Of course I hope the boys win or at least get a medal. However, the main part of the JCC Games – and what I hope they make the most of – is enjoying the overall experience of the whole trip, socialising with other Jewish kids, taking part in the activities, the competition and the camaraderie that comes with playing as a team.”
Chin has set his sights high, saying: “My hopes for the JCC Games is a minimum to make the final. I can see a huge potential within my squad and I’ll be encouraging them to try their very best and if we play our best, I don’t see why we can’t at least make the final and compete.
“It’s also great as they’re able to meet other Jewish athletes from around the world, but I feel the most important thing is to knuckle down when the competition starts and be fully focused on winning.”
Squad: Tal Coutts, Jamie Gershon, Harry Marks, Brody Rosenthal, Noah Landau, Casey Radzan, Rafi Selig, Sass Elias, Charlie Vernon, Jasper Berg, Zack Steinberg