The SIS varsity boys soccer team showed immense success in the 2024-’25 season, placing first in the red division and second in the KAIAC Cup tournament. The team was also the first to advance to the KAIAC finals as a red division team in KAIAC history.
The KAIAC competition is divided into three divisions: blue, red, and white, with blue being the highest and white the lowest. Despite SIS’s position in the intermediate red division, they performed well, defeating the blue division and Asian Pacific champions Seoul Foreign School (SFS).
I had set goals for the team before the season, these were placing first in our division and finishing in the top 3 at the AISA and KAIAC tournaments,” Adam Yannakakis, varsity boys coach, said.
Most notable was the collaborative team dynamic on and off the field. Players with similar visions can help play together at a uniform pace. Without it, games would be dominated by individual players without cohesive teamwork.
“We knew that chemistry was going to be a large factor, so we made sure that we had the same vision and teamwork,” Mr. Yannakakis said. “Having the focus and holding each other accountable to ensure everyone was on the same page consistently throughout the season.”
This season, the team had more athletes with prior soccer experience than in previous seasons. Mr. Yannakakis acknowledged that the close bonds between the young athletes also contributed to their success. Even so, the team showed diligence, dedicating countless hours to perfecting their game.
Another significant factor that determines the outcome of any sport is injuries. Injuries to any player could result in drastic changes in team tactics and disrupt team morale.
The boys showed good work ethic consistently, even though we suffered a few injuries,” Mr. Yannakakis said. “We always knew what we wanted to achieve. It was a matter of manifesting our goals.”
Despite their success during the season, the team still had room for improvement, as emphasized by their unfortunate loss against Chadwick in the KAIAC Cup finals. Playing games at high intensity and with consistent performance throughout the whole game is difficult physically, but many tend to ignore its influence on the players’ mentality.
“The psychological and mental aspect plays a significant role in the team,” Mr. Yannakakis said. “When we get scored on, people get down, and it takes time to recover mentally. This is still a work in progress that I would like the team to continue to work on. In our pre-games, especially before and during big tournaments, ensuring a stable psychological state will help us remain consistent and play the game at the pace we want.”
Despite the challenges, the season was victorious. Multiple records were broken in KAIAC history, and they exceeded countless expectations. The team represented the perseverance and determination that SIS prides itself on.
