How to prepare for battle, as told by the Captain of the Powell River Villa Soccer Club
Kye Taylor is the Kinesiologist and Health and Fitness Supervisor for the Sunshine Coast Health Centre in Powell River, BC. He grew up in Powell River before heading south to attend Coastal Carolina University and Seattle Pacific University respectively to play soccer and pursue his bachelor of science in Kinesiology (BSc. Kin). Kye returned home in 2007 and is committed to helping lend his athletic knowledge and experience to the youth of Powell River, and is passionate about bringing Villa back to the highest level in the Vancouver Island Soccer League (VISL) – Division 1.
The Powell River Villa Soccer Club in their red, black, and white
Sunday, Bloody Sunday
Sundays are special days for me. They have always been. For many, the Sabbath calls for a day of rest. For the last decade and a half, Sundays have been about the Powell River Villa.
The bodem is freshly pressed and the cobwebs are slowly clearing. My initial fog is slowly replaced by a steadily building anticipation of what is to come. In my earlier years, these cobwebs would have been self-induced, now they just come naturally.
I hop in the shower, but today is no regular shower. I turn the hot knob up a quarter turn more than normal and crank the tunes to an unreasonable level of volume considering it is 10am on a Sunday morning, but, I don’t care. It’s for the greater good.
These rituals are no longer well thought out, they are habitual. I prepare as if I am headed to battle. In a certain way, I am. There is nothing that fires me (and my teammates) up more than pulling the red, black, and white over my shoulders and preparing to do battle with some of my best buds, my Villa family. We all bleed Villa, and our blood is the deepest shade of red.
This passion is a product of those who came before us, predicated upon the strong tradition that the Powell River Villa has forged through the 40 years of our existence. I say our, because “once a Villa boy, always a Villa boy”. Those who have donned the black, white and red understand the brotherhood that exists amongst all of us who have committed themselves to THE CAUSE. Muddy field – no problem. Gerry rigged dim lighting – bring it on. Ferries, hotels, rising costs of operation, field closures, juggling work and family commitments – That’s ALL you got?! Hell, even our storied Timberlane has been dismantled – We press on! Why? ‘Cause #WEROLLDEEP and what’s one more hurdle. After all, we’re Powell River Boys and if anyone can handle these obstacles, it’s bloody well us.
A rainy battle at Timberlane
While we are a far stretch from the dominant years of the 90’s, ties exist to that time when Villa was a feared and powerful club within the then VISL (Vancouver Island Soccer League) and I would argue that there is not a more respected club within the 40 odd clubs that compose the VISL. In my time playing for the Villa, despite the difficult financial constraints, we have never forfeited a game and never refused to shake after a loss.
The greats of yesteryear forged the way for us. They were, and continue to be models for us all. Show up, work hard, carry yourself with class, get stuck, but most importantly do Powell River proud. Soccer is merely the vector that allows us to be ambassadors for Powell River wherever we go. The Villa logo is a brand that speaks to the type of people Powell Riverites are, and we do not take that responsibility and that privilege lightly. Every Sunday when we step on the field, we aim to embody the spirit of Powell Riverites. With that in mind, we don’t take the field as merely 11, we are an army of damn near 20,000. Whether we are at home or on the road our goal is always to exude a fun loving, hard-working aura laden with equal parts integrity and intensity.
Kye fights for possession of the ball
The coffee has now taken a firm grip upon me, and I am slowly morphing from my regular work/life persona to that of gladiator (minus the swords and all the death and dismemberment…). As I head towards the field, I feel the familiar feeling of goosebumps creep up as I continually search for one more notch of volume until there are no notches left. My teammates, nay, my brothers, arrive with equal enthusiasm and we collectively prepare for battle. We each bring something different to the table, and together, we are greater than the sum of our parts. Together we crank things up to find that last notch that we are always searching for, and as we pull on our black, white, and red armour, we share shit eating grins and visceral grunts in the collective knowledge that it is about to be a Sunday, … a Blood Sunday.
The Powell River Villa pose for a team shot
#WEROLLDEEP #RAISETHEBAR #NEXTLEVELTHINKING
Kye Taylor
Captain, Powell River Villa Soccer Club
Kye Taylor