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10/17/2019 12:00 AMBehind every great photo, there is more than just a great camera. Behind every great captain, there is more than just talent. On the Valley Regional boys’ soccer team, senior captain Cameron Frazier embodies everything that it means to be leader.
Cameron, a striker, has guided the Warriors to a record of 6-4 this season, putting them right in the thick of things in both the Shoreline Conference and the Class M ranks. After making the switch from defense to the attack, Cameron has scored six goals and assisted on five others for Valley.
However, Cameron isn’t just helping the Warriors succeed on the field. He’s also doing the little things that aren’t always seen with a simple snapshot.
“Cameron has learned how to say, ‘This is what you need to do in practice, what to do getting ready for games.’ That’s a strong point of his—being able to get across that focus,” Head Coach Mick Fearon says. “When it is time to be serious and work hard, he is willing to do that.”
Cameron admits that it took some time for him to settle into his leadership role, but it’s coming more naturally for him every day. Cameron, who is also a captain of the Warriors’ boys’ lacrosse squad, understands all the responsibilities that come with that title.
“I was humbled, and I’m happy to fill in a leadership position for the team,” says Cameron. “I try to put in the most work and be as passionate about the game as I can.”
Cameron has learned how to remain upbeat and positive, while encouraging his teammates to do the same. Coach Fearon says that Cameron’s teammates look up to the captain, who displayed his leadership skills by undertaking a serious workout regimen during the offseason.
“The work ethic is great. Cameron is always in great shape, and that is an aspect the kids can see,” Fearon says. “His desire to improve is second to none.”
As his leadership role continues to grow, Cameron is getting a better feel for his position on the pitch. After Cameron spent the last two seasons as a defender, Coach Fearon asked his senior captain to move up to striker this year. Cameron had played some striker as a freshman on the JV team, and he used that experience to help ease his transition.
“I know where, as a defender, you don’t want to get caught. It has really helped switch from offense and then going straight into defense,” Cameron says. “It has helped me be more versatile in that way.”
Coach Fearon likes the approach that Cameron is bringing to the striker position.
“I think his outlook on it has been good,” says Fearon. “He is relishing it now.”
While Cameron is making his runs on the attack, the Warriors are hoping to make a postseason run in 2019. Valley is drawing closer to a berth in the Class M State Tournament and is also in the mix to qualify for the Shoreline Conference Tournament.
“We can get there if we continue playing our hardest each game, focusing and not letting anything distract us,” says Cameron.
Cameron is not only a leader on the soccer field, but in his community, as well. Cameron spends his Saturdays working in the TOPSoccer program at John Winthrop Middle School, where he teaches youngsters about the game that he loves so much.
“I love working with the kids. It is so great to see how excited they are when they learn a new move or score a goal,” says Cameron, who is looking to study business management and marketing at Penn State University. “I personally really enjoy teaching kids soccer.”
Cameron is also involved with the Deep River Congregational Church missionary group. Earlier this year, he was part of a group that built a roof on a home in Charleston, South Carolina. He has also discovered a passion for landscape photography. Cameron’s parents are Don and Kelley, and his siblings are Michael, Maleena, and Taryn.