Malden High School soccer coach and English teacher Jeremiah Smith has been passionate about the sports his whole life.
Smith has been coaching high school soccer for 17 years and this is his thirteenth season as a head coach. Smith’s father, who was a high school and college football coach, is his greatest role model and biggest inspiration.
So far, Smith describes the season as “not too bad. [The team] certainly [has] had some ups and downs in the beginning, but we dramatically won against Medford, Melrose, and Peabody to help us to get back in track.”
Around 24 players have graduated during the last two years, which resulted in a bunch of new players on the team that have to become accustomed to each others skills. Smith mentioned that it is a lot easier when the soccer team has had the same player for a couple of years, but “integrating so many new players onto the team has been a little challenging as kids come from different athletic backgrounds.”
For a team to prosper, it is vital that they put their individual success at a side and work for team goals. Smith believes that “dedication is really important to [their] craft.”
“It depends on the opponent” says Smith. The defensive and offensive team tends to lean more towards using their defensive skills while playing with a strong opponent. They wait for the opportunity, whereas the team is offensive when they find their opponent’s back line weak. According to the Smith, Somerville, Medford, and Everett are to face off against.
Besides soccer, Smith is also interested in wrestling. Being the head coach of the MHS wrestling coach, Smith finds the “absolute difference in coaching soccer and wrestling.” He explained that “soccer is a team oriented sport in which 11 people work together for success, whereas wrestling is the ultimate individual sport.”
Smith’s favorite part of coaching the boys soccer team is being able to interact with the players. He mentions the bus rides, practices, and games which goes “far beyond wins and losses.”
An unforgettable game for Smith was the one against Medford, which they won in the last few minutes of playing time.
The team has had a distinguished and exceptional season, and will continue to make history for the boys soccer team here at MHS.
