Farr West—Soccer coaches Dustin Taylor and Jon Auger have had an amazing year with their U-15 Division 1 team Crush Blue. First, they won the State President’s Cup which was held in Mesquite, Nevada, in February. Then, they won the Region IV President’s Cup in Morgan Hill, California, in June. To cap it all off, the team won the National President’s Cup in July that was held in Greenville, South Carolina.
At the State President’s Cup, Crush Blue outscored their opponents 18 to1 and had only one goal scored against them. At the Regional President’s Cup, they faced off against teams from Hawaii (their only loss in that tournament), Arizona, Nevada, Washington, and California. The latter team, they beat in the finals. At the National President’s Cup, they competed against teams from Tennessee (won 2-0), Pennsylvania (tied 1-1), and Illinois (tied 1-1). Their final match was once again against the team from Tennessee where Crush Blue won 2-1 in overtime.
When asked what his favorite part is about coaching the team, Dustin Taylor said, “The success we have had has been a lot of fun, but I would have to say my favorite part has been going to these tournaments and doing a lot of fun things away from the soccer field and getting to know the players and their families on a more personal level. It makes us feel like one big soccer family.” He also mentioned how great the support has been from the local community as well as the rest of the state congratulating the team as well. They’ve received words of encouragement on their Facebook page; Fox 13 News talked with team before and after the National President’s Cup; and Mike Manning, the assistant coach for the Weber State Girls’ soccer team, volunteered his assistance to help prepare the girls for South Carolina.
Out of his 12 years of coaching competition soccer for UYSA, Dustin Taylor has been impressed with this team the most. “This is the most amazing group of players I have ever had the privilege to coach. They are very skilled, but they are humble and wonderful examples of sportsmanship. On more than one occasion we have had other teams that we competed against come and cheer us on in the championship game. This is a rare thing at such competitive level. It's truly an honor to work with and be around these amazing girls.” The most important thing he wants the team to remember is how hard work and dedication leads to success, as well as remember the friendships that are made. He also mentioned how when the team members become friends and learn to trust each other, it then results in the team playing better as a whole. “I believe the most important lesson to learn is that you must play together as a team, and to communicate and trust your teammates. Many good life lessons can be learned through playing soccer and many other sports.” Congratulations, Crush Blue and good luck in the future!!
