THE WAKEFIELD High boys’ volleyball team is working hard on improving in just their second season. The Warriors, pictured here against Arlington on April 30 at the Charbonneau Field House, took a set from the Spy Ponders but are still looking for their first win. (Courtesy Photo)
By DAN PAWLOWSKI
WAKEFIELD — In case you were wondering, no, starting a brand new high school sports team isn’t easy.
In their second season of existence, the Wakefield High boys’ volleyball team is working hard to build up a program for future Warriors.
That task is made more difficult by the fact that Wakefield has just seven players on the roster this season. With six players on the court at once, rest is just a dream for most of the squad and not always a good one as they compete against the built-up programs of the Middlesex League.
Despite the tilted odds, Wakefield’s new head coach, Brian Seto, is excited about the future of the program – mostly because his current group, small in numbers though they may be, has the heart and desire to improve upon the skills that will not only help them this year but hopefully draw more attention and student athletes to the sport for years to come.
“With no freshmen on our squad or practicing with us, I am a little concerned for the program going forward but the more this cohort competes and paves the way for Wakefield in a very competitive volleyball division, I believe more people will be inspired to join in the future,” says Seto. “We have a small but mighty team and I have been impressed with the core group’s dedication to showing up to practice, always on time and never wanting to leave the gym.”
That small but mighty group is led by senior captains Kameron D’Ambrosio and Rubens Dasilva, Jr. Seniors Nathan Bonassera and Jayden Mena also provide plenty of leadership along with junior David Zani. The sophomores on the squad are Luciano Rossetti and Aden Stevenson.
Seto, the owner-operator of Breaskscape Entertainment, hails from Ottawa where he played high school volleyball and worked as a Head Clinician for Mavericks Volleyball Club where he trained youth and teen players.
His first coaching job in the United States is certainly a challenge. Wakefield’s inaugural season last year ended with a 2-14 record and multiple seniors from that group graduated. A low turnout for tryouts certainly made the challenge deeper.
“I really didn’t know what to expect with this being my first time coaching for Wakefield and in the US, but I have enjoyed the challenge of building out this program and being able to work very closely with the team and a smaller number of players,” said Seto. “This has been an equal learning experience for the players and for me and my assistant coach (Thanh Nguyen). I took on this role as a way of returning to the things I enjoy and am passionate about and I’m catching myself up late at night watching tape and planning for practices. It’s been a fun ride so far.”
As for the matchups, most against Div. 1 powerhouse programs that have long since moved on from the initial stage Wakefield currently resides in, Seto and the Warriors aren’t backing down from anybody. Wakefield has improved throughout the year and although they are still searching for their first win, development is always the most important part for a new program.
“After a quiet and rough start, we are beginning to piece together good runs and actually win some sets and stay competitive in a match,” said Seto. “For the most part, we’ve been playing catch up on teams but once we get our teeth into a match and the boys raise their level of intensity, we can be a tough match.
“For a new team, the bar keeps rising and just as we learn and get comfortable with new skills and strategies, we need to continue to adapt and grow and move onto more advanced areas in order to catch up to the other more developed programs we’re competing against.”
Wakefield’s next game will be on Thursday against Lexington, 4:30 p.m. at the Charbonneau Field House. For that match, and the remaining six on the schedule, the Warriors will continue their mission of constructing a program, not only for themselves but for the future of the team.
“What the boys are doing is not easy work, showing up to some intimidating spaces with only 6 – 7 players and facing off against a roster of 30-plus,” said Seto. “The lack of bodies makes creating competitive game-like environments during practice a challenge and early on in the season, the team seemed quite shell-shocked once we took the court for a real match.
“But we’re getting more accustomed to being in these situations now and it shows. I am very proud of the growth and heart of the team.”
