Neighborhood House kids get their kicks with home-grown Red Bulls player in Morristown

CONQUERING HERO: Red Bulls soccer player Connor Lade, Morristown High Class of '08, returned to his alma mater to give a Memorial Day soccer clinic. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
CONQUERING HERO: Red Bulls soccer player Connor Lade, Morristown High Class of '08, returned to his alma mater to give a Memorial Day soccer clinic. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
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Looking at the autograph lines, you would have thought that Lionel Messi was at the signing table. Or maybe even Pele.

In fact, the center of attention at Morristown High School on Monday was a home-grown star of the future, Connor Lade of the New York Red Bulls.

Connor, MHS class of ’08, led a Memorial Day soccer clinic attended by 92 kids affiliated with the Morristown Neighborhood House. The Morristown law firm Riker Danzig  sponsored the event.

CONQUERING HERO: Red Bulls soccer player Connor Lade, Morristown High Class of '08, returned to his alma mater to give a Memorial Day soccer clinic. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
CONQUERING HERO: Red Bulls soccer player Connor Lade, Morristown High Class of '08, returned to his alma mater to give a Memorial Day soccer clinic. Photo by Kevin Coughlin

“It’s a pretty unique experience, being back at my school,” said Connor, a member of the 2012 U.S. Men’s National Team, as children jostled for his signature. “I still keep in touch with the guys.”

Six instructors from the Red Bulls staff joined him, putting the kids through about 90 minutes of drills and games on the high school turf field.

Anthony Encalada, 8, of Morristown, said he learned how to execute “messy touches.” He demonstrated a series of deft dribbling techniques.

Nine-year-old Camila Cano of Rockaway may have a career of “street-style” soccer ahead of her. She balanced a soccer ball on her neck for minutes at a time, under the tutelage of Red Bulls training coach Ethan Lincoln. Ethan explained that street styling is soccer’s equivalent of Harlem Globetrotters basketball.

The clinic grew from a recent conversation between Riker Danzig’s Tony Sylvester and the legal counsel for the Red Bulls.  Tony said he had no idea that Monday’s response would be so overwhelming.

“I was shocked when I came into the parking lot,” he said. “I thought, this is going to be okay.”

“The Neighborhood House was a natural fit for us,” added Riker Danzig’s Frank Vitolo. “They did yeoman’s work putting this together in no time.”

Established in 1898, the Neighborhood House provides services for immigrant- and working class families at locations in Morristown, Morris Township, Denville and Dover.

Lashone Murphy, who runs recreational programs at the Nabe, wouldn’t be too surprised if one of Monday’s pupils returns to teach a soccer clinic someday.

“I think this will inspire the kids,” she said. “Maybe they will become professional soccer players.”

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2 COMMENTS

  1. That’s an interesting suggestion, Michelle. It was a pretty cool event; those kids were really excited.

  2. It’s great that Connor Lade came into town to work with the Neighborhood House Kids.

    It’s unfortunate that my sons who are huge soccer fans and fans of the Red Bulls were not able to participate in this event as it was only open to Neighborhood House Kids who had pre-registered. My kids would have loved to have met him and participated in this. I would have paid for them to participate too.

    Maybe next time, this event could be a fundraiser for the Neighborhood House and could be structured to allow other kids from Morristown to participate and meet a local soccer celebrity?

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