Freshman Soccer Team Captain to Board of Ed: Please, Can We Get Team Shorts That Won’t Fall Down?

The following statement, read by Robbie Gaaserud, captain of the Freshmen Soccer Team at Darien High School at the Board of Education’s public hearing Tuesday night on the budget, got some laughs from the audience, along with applause:

Good evening. My name is Robbie Gaaserud. I live at 35 Driftway Lane, and I am a Ninth Grader at Darien High School. This fall I had the honor of serving as a captain of the Ninth Grade soccer team. I have been playing soccer since I was 4 years old, and I’ve been looking forward to the day that I could represent my high school on the soccer field.

My enthusiasm for the coming season was crushed the day that the coach handed out uniforms to the team. The uniforms were in poor shape, dirty and — worst of all — did not match. At times, we fielded a team of 11 players in FOUR different styles of jerseys.

Many of my teammates did not wear the shorts issued, because they were either so dirty, large or had no elastic left. In one of my games, I couldn’t focus on playing my best because I was more concentrated on making sure my shorts didn’t fall off.

Robbie Gaaserud, captain of the DHS Freshmen Soccer Team, spoke Tuesday evening to ask the Board of Education to support money for uniforms.

Some players’ movements were restricted by the shorts because their knees would be completely covered by the shorts. Soccer shorts are meant to end a bit above the knee. As a result of these issues, our moms had to go purchase shorts for us.

I understand that the tradition in Darien is for uniforms to be “handed down” from the varsity team. I don’t think this is a great practice, at least for boys freshman uniforms. Most of my teammates are 14 years old, as I am, and we are not as large as the 16-, 17- and 18-year-old boys playing on the varsity team.

When you order uniforms for a varsity team, they are going to be too large, generally, for a freshman team. Some of my teammates had jerseys that almost came down to their knees. It is difficult enough to win games in our conference, but even more difficult when you’re trying to play while readjusting an ill-fitting jersey or holding up shorts so that they don’t fall down.

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To make things worse, none of our FCIAC opponents had uniforms that didn’t match, and they seemed to be outfitted in jerseys that fit properly.

This year, the boys varsity soccer team finished second in the state, a huge accomplishment. It would have been nice for the freshman team to feel like the “younger brothers” of the varsity team; instead we felt like outsiders with our mismatched, extra-large jerseys.

If you believe that we should have a Ninth Grade team, then I believe that you should provide the proper equipment to support the team. To do anything less isn’t fair to players who are working hard every day in practice. Please approve the request of the DHS soccer coach and purchase new uniforms for the boys freshman team.

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See also:

• Support for Early Learning Program, Teacher Training at Board of Ed Budget Hearing (main article, Feb. 2)
• Superintendent Proposes 3.85% Increase in Darien Education Budget (Jan. 8)
• Mother of Autistic Child Explains How Early Learning Program Changed His Life [VIDEO] (Feb. 2)
• On School Spending, PART 1: Statements at Feb 2 Budget Hearing (Feb. 3)
• On School Spending, PART 2: What Parent Groups Said About Special Ed at Feb 2 Hearing (Feb. 3)
• On School Spending, PART 3: Statements from Budget Hearing (Feb. 3)
• On School Spending, PART 4: Statements from Budget Hearing (Feb. 3)
• On School Spending, PART 5: Statements on the Early Learning Program from Budget Hearing (Feb. 3)

Board of Education – Budget Public Hearing 2-2-16 from Darien TV79 on Vimeo.