All for One: Junior High Sports Success Continues

Look out! After the 2025 regional wins by the seventh- and eighth-grade girls’ volleyball teams, the 2025 junior high coed soccer team conquered their conference as well. The team played their entire season without a single loss. They finished 10-0-2 and put forward a unified effort to improve their skills and bond with the homeschool students who played on the team this year. Whether a player scored one goal or ten, each played a vital role in making this team a powerhouse on the field.

When the season started, the players had varying skill levels and different training needs. Still, four coaches, diverse in coaching styles and character traits, catered to each player’s needs so players could excel and sharpen their skills. Head coach Josh Birky said, “We had a wide variety of ages and skill levels on the team, so we spent every practice working on basic concepts, but then also building on those basics to introduce more advanced skills. I was lucky to have three other coaches who had strong knowledge about coaching soccer.” The three other coaches, Matt Kopmann, Steve Rutledge, and Derrick Baker, were valuable members of the team’s foundation, watching over the growth of all the players.

The players had a fiery passion for improvement and took full advantage of their coaches’ training. Defense player Noah Kopmann said, “We were definitely more conditioned than at the beginning of the season.” Coach Birky added, “They worked hard in practice while still enjoying themselves and having fun. Many of the players made big strides and improved their skill and fitness throughout the season.” 

Not every game was a cakewalk. Some were hard-fought, requiring last-minute goals by players such as Noah Kopmann and Nate Baker to shift the game in their favor. Even with these game-defining plays and players, two of the games this season ended in a tie, which is more common than you’d think. If, after 90 minutes of game time, there is no side in the lead, the game ends in a tie, with no overtime or penalty kicks. Two evenly matched teams can easily end in a stalemate.

Something else that stood out to Coach Birky was the sportsmanship of the players and how teammates were compassionate toward another player’s mistake. That's not something that Coach Birky has seen often in junior high sports. He said, “Junior high players have trouble staying positive when a teammate makes a mistake or the team is trailing. These players, however, were always encouraging each other, even during tough moments. That is rare for players at this age and is something we tried to encourage as much as possible.”

Another factor of this group’s success is their bond on and off the field. Noah Kopmann said, “We all hung out together, and a couple of times after games, we would go to Dairy Queen.” Bonding over a meal is a classic way of learning more about people, and nothing’s better than a savory burger after a good game of soccer! Win or tie, the junior high players sought to get to know their peers. The student leaders that emerged from the team led by example, and Coach Birky saw their efforts, saying, “This group stood out, already having a strong grasp of how to be leaders, role players, and good teammates.”

The team truly was “all for one, and one for all.” Judah’s team, like any team, had its superstar players who brought the team together, such as midfielder Micah Kereri, who was praised by his coach and his teammates. Coach Birky said, “Micah was a fantastic leader who led the team in goals and assists and was integral to our overall success.” Noah Kopmann jokingly summed up Kereri’s entire season as, “He’s a good teammate, and he scores a whole lotta goals.” With great skill, though, came great humility, and Micah relied on his teammates for support, just like how they relied on him and other midfielders for offense. Coach Birky said, “Soccer, more than most sports, depends on all 11 players to win, and Micah knew he couldn’t do everything on his own. He relied on his teammates to win games. He and other players like Noah Rutledge, Maribelle Wang, and Ezra Kereri had a large number of goals and assists throughout the season.”

Another way the soccer team worked to improve was swapping positions to better match up against opposing players. Coach Birky said, “I’m very intentional about having players play different positions as much as possible, so each match had a different feel.  Though we relied on some of the same tactics and principles, different players fulfilled different roles throughout the season.” The coaches constantly kept the players on their toes about what they would need to do next, and this led to plenty of rewards throughout the season. These strikers and defenders performed just as well as if that were their primary job!

As the season came to an end, these Christ-honoring athletes gave Judah Christian School a season to remember, especially for those who turned out at the Field of Dreams and across central Illinois to see a match firsthand. Commenting on the strong parent support, Coach Birky said, “This season reaffirmed my belief that having a diverse coaching staff and strong parent support is critical to a successful season. The support structure around the team was wonderful this year and created a great environment for the players to grow and thrive in.” Each plant got its time under the sunshine — and grew.

With this team’s success and volleyball’s regional titles, many more Judah junior high accomplishments could be on the horizon. It all comes down to how much they work together to achieve the miraculous.

—Michael Oshimokun, class of ’26