By Chad Feehan / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
When Mount Pearl resident Colin Dyer was four years old, he would often be seen kicking around a ball with his older sister Laura Dyer.
The dedication to the sport she inspired in him would endure, as seen by his recognition as the Youth Male Athlete of the Year by the Newfoundland and Labrador Soccer Association earlier this month.
Before joining the Fieldians club in the BU17 division, Dyer had a rough time playing with his former club which had middling success on the field. He credits members of the coaching staff like Scott Knight and Bernie Manning with his recent success since making the move.
“I feel like the coaching staff I’ve had for the last couple years have helped me develop into the player I am right now,” he said.
His coaches wanted him to grow as a leader this past season. As a central defender, he needed to be more vocal with his teammates, in more of an active but approachable leadership role. This would prove successful when the team beat Nova Scotia during a nationals match on their home turf in a turnaround victory that defied everyone's expectations.
“No one thought we were going to win any games,” Dyer said. “By the end of the game we ended up winning 3-2, which is a great experience for a small team from Newfoundland.
Even after this recognition, Dyer isn’t resting on his laurels. The soon-to-be highschool graduate is always looking to improve, and has his sights set on playing high-level university level soccer.
As for his sister Laura, she no longer plays soccer but still goes to his games when she can.
“I credit a lot to her for the way I love the game right now,” he said.
Dyer wasn’t the only Mount Pearl resident to get recognition from the NLSA this year.
Mike O’Brien was awarded Senior Male Athlete for his efforts as a player and a coach for the Holy Cross Kirby Group which he took on simultaneously with stride. In fact, this is the second time O’Brien has won the award, the first instance occurring in 2020.
“It’s been nice, it’s always nice to get recognized,” he said.
O’Brien shared coaching duties with Jake Green and Thomas Pieroway, all while spending every game on the field as a player. Though a lot of work, he doesn’t regret the experience at all, and credits the team for gelling with their leadership strategy.
“You help take care of your team and they’ll take care of you,” he said.
Being a communicative player in the centre-back position meant O’Brien didn’t need to compartmentalize his roles on the field. Making judgment calls on the bench was a different story.
“It’s hard when you’ve got to look at one of your best buddies and substitute them off the field,” he said.
These executive decisions would eventually help propel them to go undefeated in the regular season, but they would fall just shy of taking home the Challenge Cup at the end of the playoffs.
“We didn’t get the job done on the final weekend,” he said. “But in the season itself we did what we wanted to do.”
While O’Brien says he is humbled by the award, he remains humble in a very literal sense as well.
“It is a little bit of a surprise for me this year,” he said. “I can name a handful of players that I would have thought could have deserved it as well.”
As for the future, his goals are simple, but sound.
“I’m looking forward to the new year and getting back to training,” he said.
