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09/01/2015 12:00 AMSenior Thomas Bogen was voted by his teammates as one of the four captains for North Haven boys’ soccer this fall—an outcome that seemed inevitable. A four-year varsity starter, Thomas took over at central midfielder his freshman season and never relinquished the job. Poised beyond his years, Thomas held his own competing against the older boys in his debut campaign, which hardly came as a surprise to his coach.
“I could see it at a young age. I’ve known Thomas since I was doing youth soccer clinics when he was seven years old and, even then, 10 years before, I could tell he was going to be something special,” says Indians’ Head Coach Federico Fiondella. “He stepped onto the field, listened and learned from his captains freshman year, and proved mentally and physically he could get the job done. You could just tell he was going to be a captain someday.”
Thomas went on to win North Haven’s Rookie of the Year Award for his freshman year and was then named First Team All-Oronoque as a junior last fall. Playing the central midfielder position, Thomas solidified North Haven’s defense, while also pushing the ball up field to set up his offense for scoring chances. On the season, he posted two goals with six assists in helping the Indians to a 6-1-1 division record and a share of the Oronoque championship with defending champion Branford.
“I’m really proud of what we accomplished last year. To be co-champions of the division was a great achievement for our team,” Thomas says. “The last match of the regular season we played Branford, who is a big rival, and we were trailing late when Ian Dunning made an incredible header to tie the game.”
On that pivotal play, Thomas showed the selflessness and team-first attitude which elevated him to the role of captain. The ball came into the keeper’s box and, rather than go for the goal-scoring glory, Thomas blocked out a defender, so Dunning could net the game-tying tally.
Thomas’s leadership qualities on the field may come naturally to him, but he certainly works hard off the field to improve, as well. This is one of the reasons why, in his sophomore year, Thomas was nominated by Coach Fiondella for the Ambassador Program at Yale University, where Thomas was selected for the People to People Leadership Summit.
“It was truly an honor to be nominated and to be chosen was incredible. We stayed on the Yale campus for the week-long program that focused on team building, how to set a good example, build confidence in yourself, and in others,” says Thomas. “It was very rewarding and I met a lot of people from across the country. I also made friends with kids from China, Italy, and all over the world. It was a really fun time and the chance to interact with so many people from diverse backgrounds was a great learning experience.”
The epitome of a student-athlete, Thomas has been a fixture on the honor roll all four years at North Haven. When he’s not hitting the books or guiding his club on the soccer field, Thomas spends spare time refereeing in the Connecticut Junior Soccer Association, while also working as an assistant coach for the middle school girls’ basketball squad.
“I love being an assistant coach. I get to set an example of the right way to do things and pass on all the knowledge I’ve gained from coaches and upperclassmen who taught me over the years,” he says. “It’s a learning experience for me, as well, and a fun way to give back to the community. I also get to spend time with my mom, who’s head coach, and my little sister, who plays on the team.”
As far as his upcoming senior season goes, Thomas knows he has a big job on his hands in leading a soccer squad that graduated 15 players from last year.
“We only have six seniors this year, but I relish the opportunity to help lead the team,” says Thomas. “We have to remain patient, work hard, compete, and have fun. I look forward to mentoring the younger guys. They’re a great group that listens and wants to get better. My job is to set a good example for them, get everyone involved, and help in any way I can to build a strong team this year.”
Coach Fiondella has no doubts that Thomas will thrive as a captain and knows he owns the qualities to succeed at anything he sets his mind to.
“Thomas is a great young man who was raised very well by his family. He has respect for everyone—teammates, opposing players, refs. He’s just a tremendous individual and a natural leader,” says Fiondella. “On the field, Thomas has improved in every aspect since he arrived. He’s an excellent player with a lot of versatility, a good attacker, can shoot from distance, and is hungry in the goal area. On defense, he’s aggressive and determined. Thomas is very serious about his job, has a fantastic attitude, and the other kids gravitate towards him and want to work hard for him. He’s a unique individual who is not a follower. People follow him and he has the inspirational qualities to be a coach if that’s what he chooses to do in the future.”
For now, Thomas is ready to lead North Haven into a season that will hopefully see the team build off last year’s prosperity. It’s a tall order, but Thomas has confidence the Indians can achieve their goals.
“Being named a captain is a great honor and I’ve worked hard to improve my skills on and off the field as a leader,” says Thomas. “We have a great coach, strong leadership from the other captains and seniors on the team, and talented, humble underclassmen who give it their all in practice and strive to improve every day. If we do all the things we’re taught and keep working, we should have a season to be proud of.”