Ocoee boys soccer entering the field as one family

When the Ocoee boys soccer team gears up to take on the field this season, one thing will be clear — it is more than just a team. It’s a family. 

The team’s unity is reflected everywhere. It’s in the laughter and smiles at practices. It’s especially shown by the way senior Juan Perez and senior captain Amari Brown lead their teammates with respect and confidence. 

As the defending Class 7A Region 1 District 3 champions prepare to embark on the team’s upcoming journey, Brown and Perez’s leadership and the team’s family atmosphere will be at the helm of its success. 

SETTING THE TONE 

As leaders, both of the seniors take their roles seriously, although their approaches differ. 

Brown sees himself as a role model. As team captain who has played varsity all four years of high school, he knows many of his teammates look up to him. He knew most of them when they were younger, and he wants to set the tone for the team while also growing loving relationships. 

“I’m not like a strict military person,” he said. “I’m more like a dad.” 

Perez smiled and agreed with Brown’s assessment. He described himself as the “uncle.” Perez is the one who is joking around and keeping his teammates relaxed, but he never allows for it to get out of control. 

“If coach wants to lock in and focus, I’ll get them right back on their feet and focused,” he said. “If someone makes a mistake, I’ll tell them to shake it off. We’ve got one more play.”

Disappointment is a natural part of any sport. Everyone always wants to do the best they can and limit mistakes, but mistakes are bound to happen, and Perez knows it. He tries to keep his teammates’ heads up by encouraging them to build up their confidence for the rest of the game.

Head coach Peter Moore agreed those family nicknames fit perfectly. 

He said Brown and Perez are two of the most mature players on his team. Even last season, they were more mature than some of the senior players. Brown has stepped up into a leadership role this year by keeping the team organized and helping Moore make sure the players are where they need to be. 

It’s that kind of reliability that has earned Brown respect from his coaches and teammates. 

“If Amari sends out a message in their group chat saying, ‘Coach wants us there at six,’ the guys listen,” Moore said. 

Brown and Perez’s influence extends further than being messengers. Moore relies on the pair to keep the team focused, especially in intense game-time moments. During Ocoee’s preseason game against East Ridge Thursday, Oct. 30, Moore said the team was getting too loose defensively, so he went to Brown. 

“I told Amari, ‘Get it straightened out,’ and he did,” Moore said. “He gets the guys locked back in.”

Ocoee alumni still come to see Friday night games, Perez said. They also meet at the West Orange fields and play pick-up games. It’s a reflection of the connections they had as teammates. 

TEAM FAMILY 

It’s not all drills and intense moments among Ocoee’s soccer players. The bond between the players is what keeps practices light when they need to be through assistant coach Rodger Williams joking around with his players and helping them teach Moore Spanish. 

Photo by Megan Bruinsma

“We all have that friendship,” Perez said. “The first day might feel a little weird, but after that, it’s like a family.” 

The family atmosphere runs deep in the team’s veins. It all starts with the coaching staff.

Moore has been the head coach of the Ocoee soccer team since the school opened in 2005. He has met a lot of different players and personalities. He’s seen the team win regionals and even coached Perez’s dad when he was a player. 

When Perez walked onto the junior varsity team as a freshman, his dad immediately recognized Moore’s name and knew that was his former coach. Instantly, there was an added connection. 

To grow the team’s family bonds, the players do activities together such as family dinners. Every year Moore’s wife cooks a meal for the team. Last year, she made spaghetti and cookies when the team started districts.

Their favorite team-bonding memory was when everyone did an ice bath together. Brown and Perez laughed as they recalled the memory. They both went all the way under the ice, while others were too scared to get in and sat on the edge. 

Defense wins championships

The foundation of Ocoee’s success is its defense. 

“Defending wins championships,” Moore said. “That’s something I’ve always preached.” 

It’s not possible to outscore everyone, he said. There are nights where players take 20 shots, and none of them scores. That’s why each player must be able to keep the ball out of the back of Ocoee’s net.

That mentality has carried the Knights to a district championship last year and a regional semifinal appearance. Both Brown and Perez remember the surge of joy that moment brought the whole team. It showed them all the hard work truly paid off. 

Perez watched Ocoee’s district run from the sidelines. His patellar tendon slipped out in the third game of the season last year, and he underwent surgery. Despite the season-ending injury, Perez still went to every game to support his teammates, and this year he’s back on the starting lineup. 

Brown said the experience last year has given the team momentum as they head into this season.

“It felt good,” he said. “We started strong last year, and by the time districts came around, we were clicking. This year, we’re aiming higher. We want to make states.”

Moore wants it to happen for his players, not for himself. He has been to the state final four with a club team. He also has been to regional and national championships.

The road ahead won’t be easy. Ocoee’s district includes powerhouses Lake Mary, Lake Brantley, West Orange and Apopka. As Ocoee chases a repeat district championship, that family bond between players and coaches may be the trait that leads them back to the top.