Beckley boys soccer and players signing to play at the next level have become commonplace in the last few years.
Monday afternoon inside the Woodrow Wilson High School Auditorium, three more Flying Eagles saw their college dreams come true.
Surrounded by a large crowd that included family, coaches, teammates and friends, Shamad Wynne-Thompson, Aiden Bell and Cooper Bell all signed a National Letter of Intent to play college soccer in the fall.
Wynne-Thompson will take his talent to Concord University, while the Bell twins will play at Washington & Jefferson College in Pennsylvania.
“These guys are all working hard. I have them from August through November. Hopefully they learn something from me and I help them out,” Beckley soccer head coach Steve Laraba said. “But, they are doing a lot of work on their own. They are playing club soccer and their club coaches have a lot to do with their development. As well as their parents, dragging them all over the region. It is definitely a community effort. These guys have made that commitment.”
The journey to the next level is never easy. The path for Wynne-Thompson was made even more difficult in large part by the position he played during his high school career.
“As a defender, if you are doing your job, people in the know will notice you, but it is hard to get a lot of stats with that,” Laraba explained. “It is hard to get the accolades that midfielders or forwards get, or even goal keepers get. Shamad is this big strong presence that has done a really great job for us.”
It took a couple of years for Wynne-Thompson to make his way onto the high school pitch, but when he did, he made a big impact.
Needless to say, earning a chance at the next level was something extra special for Wynne-Thompson.
“It is pretty exciting,” Wynne-Thompson said. “I didn’t get decent until my junior year when I got my starting spot. From then on I kept progressing and bettering myself. I turned a role that is not often looked at as a key role into an important role just by the way I play.”
“The assistant coach (from Concord) contacted me and I went on a visit there,” Wynne-Thompson continued. “The coaches are really nice. I liked their play style and I am excited to play for them just because they gave me a chance. That is all I really wanted.”
For the Bell twins, after playing soccer together from a very young age, playing together was important.
Washington & Jefferson afforded them that treasured opportunity.
“It is an amazing feeling. Not only playing at the next level, but to play with my twin brother,” Cooper said. “It is very emotional for me. We have both worked really hard together and to see him right beside me is amazing.”
Washington & Jefferson also provided the ideal atmosphere for the Beckley duo.
“A lot of it is you are a student first. They have a smaller school and I am better in those type of environments. Same with my brother,” Aiden said. “Obviously we want to go together and it’s hard to go together with us playing different positions and everything. The opportunity came and it was something I couldn’t see myself turning down.”
Aiden Cooper was named the Class AAA mid-fielder of the year and Laraba admits will be a tough player to replace.
“Aiden is an outstanding mid-fielder with a great demeanor. He is very technical with the ball, but also has a tactical awareness of where to be and when to be there,” Laraba said. “He is aware of passes that need to be made and is always very good with finding a goal to score. He is just a really great, calming presence in the middle of the field.”
Although the Bell brothers are twins, they have their own personality and style between the lines.
“I love Cooper’s attitude on the field. Not meaning for this to be bad, but he can be a nice guy and if there needs to be some dirty work done, Cooper is going to get it done,” Laraba said. “He has this great ability on the ball. He can look unimposing on the ball and then he can make a quick move and leave you for dead. The next thing you know he has played a pass or hit a shot, that makes you wonder where it came from.”
Playing at the next level is clearly a much bigger challenge, but Laraba is confident all three players will make an impact at the next level.
“I think Cooper and Aiden have a good chance right off the bat to be impactful players. They can almost play anywhere in the mid-field,” Laraba said. “They can really do a job that most teams are looking for. At that level, I think they will be very, very good. They have had the dream of playing college soccer and they have put in the time to achieve that dream.”
Playing time for Wynne-Thompson will be a challenge early on with the large roster for the Mountain Lions.
“Shamad is a player that has good size with great ability and great agility for his size. He is an extremely hard worker and very intelligent. He does a good job of making quality decisions on the field and he is a leader. He leads by example,” Laraba said. “Concord has a very large roster, but Shamad is the type of player that understands he will have to put in a lot of effort and time. There is no reason that he can’t be a part of that first team. All three of them are fantastic players and I can’t be happier for them.”
Aiden Bell summed up the day for the Beckley threesome who were clearly appreciated the magnitude of the day and the support they received.
“It is obviously a big day for Shamad, for us, our family and friends,” Aiden said. “It’s a big achievement and it’s really great to have so many people come out and support us. It really does mean a lot.”
