INTERNATIONAL FLAIR: Princeton International School of Mathematics and Science (PRISMS) boys soccer player Oliver Gao shows off his form during a game this fall. Senior Gao helped lead the way as the PRISMS team went 2-3-2 under new head coach Jay James May. (Photo courtesy of PRISMS)
By Bill Alden
Growing up in football-loving England, Jay James May fell in love with the sport at a young age.
“We all play, it’s like a religion with the approach and how you feel about it,” May said. “Every time you have a break, you play football. You are on the ground as much as you can. I played a lot when I was a teenager.
In his twenties, May devoted his energy to academics and enrolled at the University of Sussex, where he received three awards, including top-ranked student at his English school. He went on to earn his master’s and doctorate degrees. at the University of York. May then moved into education, teaching around the world, first in his native England before teaching in Spain and China for 10 years.
During his five years of teaching in China, May got his start as a football coach.
“China is where I really started coaching because there was a gap in that area in school,” May said. “I coached our house team, the schools are divided into houses and you get a quarter of the population.”
Coming to Princeton last summer to teach English at the Princeton International School of Mathematics and Science (PRISMS), May embarked on a work of passion by becoming the head coach of its boys’ soccer team.
At first, May wasn’t sure what he had in terms of talent.
“It was difficult to assess; our training ground is very bumpy, so it’s hard for them to really show off their skills,” May said. “We had a boy who played club football and we worked a lot on our skills.”
The Falcons got off to an inauspicious start, losing 6-2 to the Lawrenceville School freshman team in its season opener.
“What happened in the last 10 to 15 minutes was the boys ran out of steam,” May said. “They were just dead standing; Lawrenceville pushed us off the ball. It was about putting out fires after the Lawrenceville game. It was ‘right, you’re getting pushed off the ball too easily and you’re tired, so we need to work on strength and fitness’. At the same time, we need to work on your skills.
By rebounding, the Falcons improved their skills and fitness, resulted in a final score of 2-3-2.
A tactical adjustment made by May helped put the team on the right track.
“I introduced them to a flexible formation with a 3-4-3 with the two guys on the four side,” said May, whose coaching staff included fellow teachers Zachary White, Dane Kang and Weijing Wang. “Basically, they have to run all over the field. They must support the attack. They are part of a solid five in defense; in some ways, in this training, it is the most important role. We don’t have specialists in this sense, boys who have played this role and who have done very well.
May considers a 1-1 draw against New Jersey United Christian Academy (NJUCA) in their third match as a turning point for PRISMS.
“We established our defensive solidity; “We had played that formation a few times and then we started focusing more on how to use the ball,” said May, whose team went on to win twice against Wilberforce School (2-1 and 2-0), then lost 1-0 in a rematch with the Lawrenceville freshmen and tied 2-2 with the Princeton Day School JV team in its final.
“At that age or that level, they tend to throw it away like it’s a hot potato when they get it. We were trying to teach them how to receive the ball, protect it with your body and pass it, actually playing the game. It was the first time they started doing that and you could see the confidence growing.
The team responded positively to May’s approach. “To be fair to the boys, they took that into account; there’s no point in trying to do it if they resist it,” said May, whose team practiced on campus and played its home games at Farmview Fields.
“Every day we did extended training of at least half an hour. They are intelligent boys. I tried to appeal to the mathematical nature of children, trying to explain things in terms of systems. In the field, we did board work and brought them into the classroom so they could see shape, movement, and permutations.
A quartet of seniors – Oliver Gao, Henry Li, Kevin Ya and Toby Sun – worked hard during their final campaign for the PRISMS program.
“Oliver is your best man, he really puts his heart and soul into it,” May said. “He really cares about the other boys and he works hard. On the pitch he is not the most talented player but he has certainly improved this season and gained confidence. He is an absolute warrior. He was kicked in the face and elbowed twice. He leaves nothing out, he works hard. Kevin is the all-time leading scorer here. He sets an example, the boys admire him. He probably has the most talent of the lot. Henry and Toby are good players, solid players.
May is looking for sophomore Massi Ravotto, who led the Falcons with four goals this fall, and goaltender Edward Cheng to be the team’s cornerstones moving forward.
“Massi has raw talent, he has the weaknesses that boys will get older, which is they hold the ball too long and want to do everything themselves,” May said. “He comes from a good place so I’m working on that with him. It’s going to be important for us. Edward has improved a lot, we really had to work with him on his communication. He has good reactions, he is a good stopper. We always try to instill his communication and use the box, be brave and go out to the centers. He improved tremendously and in that 1-0 game against Lawrenceville, he kept us in the game so we had a chance to score him.
In May’s opinion, the future of the program is bright.
“We’re really happy with the progress we’ve made,” May said. “We will have spring training. Throughout the summer, while I’m here, I’ll be offering workouts to the boys around. It’s about continuing, they know what is expected of them now. It’s a really nice group, we had some good freshmen this year. Our captain will probably be chosen from the sophomore group. We look forward to the future.
The progress the Falcons made this fall helped spread the love of the game at the school.
“We have a morning announcement every day where the school assembles and the roar that goes up when the football team announces a victory,” May said. “They are really united and that boosts morale. Ultimately, competition is good for kids.
