Patriot trophies

2006 Patriot Crossroad Challenge Winners

U-12 Boys - Patriot Soccer Club

U-12 Girls - South Portland Strikers

U-13 Boys - South Portland Strikers

U-14 Boys - Westbrook Soccer

U-14 Girls - Winslow Travel Soccer

(U12-U14 teams competed for the tournament trophy in their age bracket. All U9, U10 and U11 teams received Patriot Crossroad Medallions for participating. A special Patriot Sportsmanship medal was awarded in each game by the referees to the player displaying outstanding sportsmanship.)

In the middle of it all

The Statistician's Table was the hub and heart of the tournament. The evidence of preparation and organization was clear at this command central with Tina Martell in charge of the troops. As coaches, field marshals, volunteers, and referees reported in, Tina was guiding with authority. She passed out walkie talkies, official badges, sportsmanship awards, score cards, medical release forms and, as the walkie talkies blasted and her cell phone was ringing, she calmly took care of guiding people to the correct fields, pointing out current standings, calling on Rescue, dispersing ice packs, connecting people with items lost and found, watching the trophy table, making sure refreshments, water and toilet paper were properly dispatched.

Tina spent 12+ hours each day at the tournament and always directed the credit and attention to the Tournament and club directors as well as the parent volunteers.

Teamwork was role modeled at this huge event and Tina just would say she is a regular parent who has organization skills through her career as an assistant to the head of Banknorth. "You're given a task and you get the job done." Tina was inspired to step up calling herself second generation to a neighborhood whose members have volunteered in the school systems, sports and community. Soccer club founder Howard Hughes and past club president Larry Giddinge are neighbors. Their children are no longer in the school system, yet they contribute to youth soccer. She believes as parents role-model, their children will follow as they stay in the community and become coaches and mentors. Her goal was accomplished as the entire club prepared for weeks and made a overwhelming event "bigger and better" than ever. Tina said, "This is about the two Towns of New Gloucester and Gray, coming together with parents motivated to volunteer for their children and project school and community pride to host thousands of visitors who love soccer."

Alongside Tina, at the statistician tables you found Tony Ward and Mike Kane overseeing and carting over the fields seeing that everything ran smoothly and like clockwork. Absolutely amazing and entertaining to stand around this area and witness their leadership. But be careful or you could be put to work as a field marshal - it was catching. (I went as a reporter and ended up working the games and in the snack shack with the Athletic Boosters.)

The folks who lead the way

Patriot Soccer Club Executive Committee

Tony Ward, President

Mike Kane, Vice President and Tournament Director

Jim Moreau, Treasurer

Penney Ward, Registrar

Sharon Giggey, Administrator

Howard Hughes, Player Development

Larry Giddinge, Director of Competition

Barbara Hughes, Board Member

Steve Langlais, Communications Director

Tina Martell, Volunteer Coordinator

Each of the seven Patriot Soccer Club Teams has a Team Administrator who works with the Executive Committee to prepare and execute duties for Crossroad Challenge.

Brenda Sawyer - U9 Boys

Deana Kariotis and Sue LeCerda jointly - U10 Boys

Lori Hayman and Jennifer Archer jointly- U10 Girls

Jennifer Archer - U11 Boys

Mary Martell - U12 Boys

Lin Dehetre - U12 Girls

Penney Ward - U13 Boys and PSC Registrar

Patriot Soccer Club Coaches provide players with positive reinforcement; assist in the development of respect for the game, their teammates, the referees, the opposing players and themselves; aid in the development of player confidence; and nurture the interaction skills necessary for life.

U-9 Boys, Bruce Sawyer (head), assistants James Carter and Jay Andrews

U-10 Boys, Nieves Esquirel (head), assistants Chris Bennett and Jake Small

U-10 Girls, Carl Holmquist (head), assistant Torry Valente

U-11 Boys, Hal Philips (head), assistants Paul Stevens

U-12 Girls, Sharon Giggey (head) and assistant Dale Mitchell

U-12 Boys, Mike Kane (head) and assistants Jim Moreau and Conrad Strack

U-13 Boys, Al Palmer (head) and assistant Tony Ward

Message from Mike Kane, Tournament Director:

"It has been a great weekend and everybody involved has commented on the wonderful experience working together for the Crossroad Challenge has been. The key to a successful tournament is the parents and club members stepping up and forward. We have all become better acquainted and had a lot of fun. Thank you to all involved.

Message from Tony Ward, President, Patriot Soccer Club:

"This is not the biggest soccer tournament held on Columbus Day weekend, but it is definitely our largest and BEST attended in seven years. We are very fortunate with the weather and high caliber of teams that came from around the state and New Hampshire.

Our large volunteer base has supported all aspects of the tournament, and they are the key to the wonderful comments heard around the complex today. This has also afforded many kids a way to promote community service and take pride in their school.

We represent the community, club and school and strive for a positive experience. We hope all this year's teams will join us next year. We had several teams that were interested in joining us this year but we are limited to available fields.

Thanks to the Booster Club for the wonderful job they did with the concession stands. I sampled most of the menu and was very pleased. They did not run out of menu items and kept the lines short most of the time. Michael Kane has tirelessly led the layout and lining of the fields year after year. Thanks to the Boosters for the use of their marking machine this year."

Next week, we will celebrate the success of this year and discuss how to improve and then start plans for the 8th annual Patriot Crossroad Challenge. Thanks again to all our sponsors, supporters, parents, players and volunteers. Take pride in a job well done."

Did you know?? Interesting facts:

Crossroad Challenge Tournament Registration Committee welcomed and registered 82 travelling teams from Maine and New Hampshire.

Donna Skilling, Barbara Steinart, Barbara Hughes, Pat and Glenn Sylvester are all volunteers who have no children in the current Soccer Club.

Craig Worth organized the first Patriot Crossroad Challenge with a goal of promoting school and community pride through soccer and sharing with visitors what a wonderful community Gray-New Gloucester is. Comments he heard the first year from a G-NG student: "Gee, this was pretty neat, I would never have expected anything like this from Gray. It is a step above" and from a visiting coach, year one: "From news of your school budgets, we were pleasantly surprised with the facilities and what a wonderful community you have. This was a great weekend, and we will return next year with more teams."

Dave Eldridge started the scarecrow tradition, along with his son Andrew. They created and stuffed straw into old club uniforms and began at 5 A.M. setting out the decorations throughout Gray. Team players and parents added the painted soccer pumpkins and flowers as a welcome. The tournament is always held Columbus Day weekend and the Club coordinates with the American Legion to display the American flags.

Larry Giddinge, Director of Competition, was instrumental in coordinating 40 referees (3-4 per game) throughout the weekend and keeping games on schedule. Area youth with referee licenses have the opportunity to earn extra money and display their talents along with numerous experienced refs.

For many G-NG athletic parents and students, one of the most imortant results of the tournament was the filling of the High School parking lot potholes (we mean craters). Special thanks to George and Steve and Wing Paving through SAD 15. This helped with school pride and safety to cars and pedestrians. Thanks also to Tina for getting the ball rolling.

Steve Langlais, communications also made the amazing map and large statistician boards.

Team administrator Jennifer Archer's husband is on active duty with the military and she took on the consuming responsibility along with managing her home and running her two children around to sporting events.

Volunteer parents' duties included making and displaying soccer pumpkins, hay bales, mums, signage and scarecrows throughout Gray, American Flag duty putting up early and taking down each day, Field Marshals for each game, greeters with programs and maps, shirt sales, clean up crews, field lining, numbering, painting and moving of goals, securing goal nets, set up tents, tables, collecting and signing out 20+ walkie talkies and tournament tear down.

Athletic boosters were busy with concessions during the Crossroad Challenge, serving up 192 breakfast sandwiches, 91 bagels and pastries, 490 pounds of fries, 891 hamburgers, 461 hot dogs, 4 pots of chili, 40+ pizzas, numerous bags of popcorn, plus chicken nuggets and grilled cheese sandwiches;1,266 bottles of water and gallons and gallons of Gatorade, coffee, hot chocolate, cider and soda to quench thirst.