Visions In Education’s Indoor Soccer Club reached a significant milestone on November 21, securing a second-place finish in their league; the highest achievement since the program’s inception in 2023. Under the leadership of coaches Kyle Novak and Alexander Butterfield, student-athletes demonstrated exceptional dedication and teamwork throughout the season, culminating in this historic accomplishment.

The final game took place at the LeFive indoor soccer arena. As players warmed up with stretches, passing drills, and shooting practice, Visions staff and families gathered along the sidelines to support the team in their final competition of the season.

This year, the Visions team was bolstered by a new coaching addition, Coach Alexander Butterfield, or better known as “Coach B”! Coach Novak highlighted his colleague’s contributions: “I want to praise Coach B who led the Visions 1 team. His experience coaching competitive soccer, his awareness of our players’ strengths, and his constant reminders to the players to defend relentlessly and back each other up on the field is a big reason why we had as successful of a season as we did.”

Read more about our Indoor Soccer Club

Building Connection Through Competition

The Indoor Soccer Club exemplifies how extracurricular athletics foster meaningful student connections while developing valuable life skills. Sergio Fuentes, Regional Athletic Director and Visions School Social Worker, emphasized the broader impact: “Soccer can be a positive outlet for students to manage stress, anxiety, or even depression. The social aspect to soccer helps increase emotional peer support, self confidence, problem solving skills, and communication. These benefits have been linked to academic success, mental health wellness, school attendance, and graduation rates.”

Extracurriculars such as indoor soccer help to build student connection by drawing players together for a similar purpose – to practice and build on their soccer skills while also enjoying their time with the team. 

Standout Performances and Team Excellence

Coach Novak recognized players whose leadership and skills were pivotal to the team’s achievement. Senior players Samuel K. and Faramarz K. exemplified the strategy that became the team’s hallmark. “They were models of the relentless defense mindset and their positivity and physical strength throughout the season and belief in the Visions team carried us through to finish 2nd in the league for the first time ever,” Coach Novak noted. Coach Novak also gave special recognition to eleventh grader Max T.

“Also our goalkeeper, Max T., was a standout this season in helping us to have a strong defense,” said Coach Novak.

Coach B spoke to the importance of working as a true team to accomplish larger goals. “This season we had a wide range of experience on the team, but one thing was consistent: every player was willing to follow the game plan. That might sound obvious, but it’s actually one of the hardest things to achieve as a coach. When players are committed to doing their part within a system, they become far more than the sum of their parts — they become a true team.” 

Celebrating Team Achievement

Following the championship game, players gathered to celebrate their successful season over pizza, reflecting on their hard work and collective accomplishments.

Congratulations to Visions Team 1: Zach Z., Zahra S., Rohan B., Nahum P., Mackenzie K., Sayyed Q., Artem S., Samir D., Joseph P., Samuel K., Faramarz K., Betoul Q., Evelina O., Max T., and Hanan B.

Program Growth and Future Opportunities 

Coach Novak expressed his pride in the trajectory of the Indoor Soccer program: “I am very proud of this program, which grew from 12 players on one team in 2023, to 25 players on two teams in 2024, and now 27 players on two teams in 2025 earning minutes of playing time in league games against other teams in the charter school league.”

The program welcomes participants of all skill levels, from beginners to advanced players, creating an inclusive environment where students can develop their abilities while enjoying team collaboration.

For information about joining athletic clubs and teams, including Volleyball, Basketball, and Soccer, visit the Visions Athletics page on The Wire to learn about upcoming events, practices, and participation opportunities.

Click below to view photos from the championship game