Wreckers Return After Poconos Adventure
It’s become legendary: Staples soccer’s pre-season bonding trip.
Every year, returning varsity players spend a few days far out of Westport. They share adventures, test themselves in new ways, and return home with great memories and stories.
This year’s trip was to a new destination: the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. It proved to be a great spot.
The largest group ever — 18 players — played a variety of paintball games (in sites including a castle, and in spite of a monsoon). They did a high ropes course through East Stroudsburg University, with an emphasis on team-building and personal challenges. They went whitewater rafting.
They spent 3 nights in a rented home that slept 21, with the added attraction of a sand volleyball court and horseshoe pit.
Head coach Dan Woog was joined by 2 alums: Liam Bohonnon ’08 (for the 3rd time) and Jack Hennessy ’10. The 2 added greatly to the trip, inspiring the upcoming team and challenging them to make this a year with no “what-ifs.”
The Wreckers posed for a photo, before dividing into 2 teams and blasting each other in paintball.
Sam Kantor and Aidan Wisher just say no to goggles.
Ziggy Hallgarten (left) and Daniel Brill help Jack Zeldes scale a wall at the ropes course.
Ziggy Hallgarten is the last man on his team. He has to leap high to start scaling the wall.
The challenge: climb up the sets of logs without using the wires.
It takes an act of faith to leap toward a trapeze.
One of the most competitive elements of the trip was a beach volleyball tournament, held on a court at the house the team rented.
Daniel Brill, Noah Schwaeber and Kenji Goto manned the grill, as the team cooked out on their final night.
Ziggy Hallgarten photobombs a card game with Jack Zeldes, Kenji Goto and Grant Sirlin.
