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10/20/2016 12:00 AMWhen Ryan Davis heard he was going to be a vice captain for the Valley boys’ soccer team this year, the senior felt a little nervous about the idea of taking on such a big responsibility. However, Ryan has not only hit his stride as a leader as the campaign’s unfolded, he’s also taken on an even bigger role since senior captain Nate Gagnon injured his foot.
“I’ve had to step up and it’s been a big thing to take on this season,” says Ryan. “I need to have the team ready and help keep our mindset straight, keep our goals in mind, and help accomplish them.”
The Warriors, who recently qualified for states, have their sights set on winning the Shoreline Conference Tournament this season and Ryan feels that they’re “on the right track.” Ryan knows there are several tough teams in the league, including Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, and Morgan, although Ryan has faith that his team can compete with those squads.
“[Head Coach Mick Fearon] is a great coach and he can get us there,” Ryan says. “It’s just winning, keeping our heads on straight, and giving it our all throughout the season. We can accomplish so much more than we already have.”
Coach Fearon has faith in Ryan’s leadership skills and has seen his athlete grow while taking on more and more duties as a captain.
“Ryan has done a really good job getting the kids going at practice,” said Fearon. “He’s a quiet kid, so it was hard for him, but he’s getting more vocal, and he’s always one of the hardest-working players.”
Nearing the latter portion of the season is a bittersweet feeling for Ryan. Although he’s happy with how the Warriors are performing, he knows that there are only so many games left to play in his Valley soccer career.
“I’m trying to enjoy it as much as possible,” says Ryan. “I’ll miss being on the team, having all these people to be with after school, coming together for a couple hours to have fun and play soccer, and having each other’s back.”
Ryan, who plays defender, has been competing alongside most of his Warriors’ teammates since they began with pee-wee soccer when they were young. The group continued to play together through middle school, going undefeated and winning a state championship, which Ryan says was “an exciting moment for the whole team.”
“We’ve been playing together for such a long time that we can almost expect what each other are going to do and we know everyone is willing to put out all they have to get a win,” says Ryan. “As a defender, I enjoy chasing people down in the back, stopping the ball when there’s almost a big scoring opportunity for other team, and having everyone’s back if they make a mistake.”
Ryan also gets to demonstrate those skills with the Valley boys’ lacrosse squad during the spring. After having previously played baseball, Ryan wanted to find a new spring sport, so he tried lacrosse and loved how it was “almost non-stop action.” As a midfielder, Ryan gets to chase people down on the defensive end of the field, while also going on the attack to create scoring opportunities. At the end of his freshman year, Ryan and one of his teammates were pulled up to the varsity roster for the State Tournament.
“It was pretty exciting, but at the same time, it was a little nerve-wracking,” says Ryan, who thanks coaches George Hudson and Paul Ferrucci for their guidance. “Being around older kids and seeing how they played was definitely a good learning point.”
By the time his sophomore season rolled around, Ryan was a varsity regular for Warriors’ lacrosse. With two solid years of varsity experience behind him, plus a solid core of players returning this spring, Ryan feels excited about what the 2017 campaign has to offer.
“We have a lot of experience and good chemistry,” says Ryan, an honors student. “We could use that and have a good season.”
In addition to playing for Valley’s varsity soccer and lacrosse teams, Ryan is also involved in TOPSoccer and Buddy Basketball and enjoys sharing his sports knowledge with those who wouldn’t normally get that opportunity. Already two months into his senior year, Ryan is busy narrowing down his college choices, and two of his top schools are Quinnipiac University and Springfield College in Massachusetts. Ryan has an internship at Shoreline Orthopedics and is considering studying physical therapy. He adds that he’d also like to work with sports teams in some capacity down the road.
“I’ve been interested in bones and muscles and how they move and work together since the science class in middle school when we learned the main bones,” says Ryan. “It’d be interesting to work with athletes when I’m older and have it bring back memories when I’m older of what it was like when I was like when I was playing.”
Ryan is now concentrating on making those memories in his senior season. He’s enjoying his final weeks wearing a Valley boys’ soccer uniform, while relishing the support of his family.
“My grandparents on both sides, my parents, and my siblings come to every game and I can always hear them cheering for me, so that’s positive,” says Ryan. “Soccer has been a big part of my life and I’m happy with how far I’ve come.”