Nolan Stanfield is the captain of the Newton boy’s soccer team. With this being his senior year, Stanfield is leaving a lasting impact on the program in his final season.
“I believe my standards for excellence and high work ethic have the potential to be followed in the years after I am gone,” Stanfield said.
Stanfield has played on the Newton soccer team all four years of high school, beginning as a defender and now finishing his high school career as a goalkeeper. With only two games left in the regular season, Stanfield is starting to reminisce on his time at Newton.
“I enjoy our competitiveness and brotherhood on the team especially with the seniors because we have been together for so long,” Stanfield said. “I will also miss coach Williams because he is an awesome person that truly cares about us as students and athletes. He is a mentor to me, and I appreciate the impact he has had on me.”
Head coach Duane Williams holds Stanfield in a similar regard. He believes that Stanfield’s leadership and dedication to the team have been invaluable.
“He has a strong voice and was not afraid to correct players when they were doing wrong,” Williams said. “Nolan has been a great example of a captain for the younger players.”
Stanfield’s leadership is a quality that he takes pride in. He also played for the football team, and he has tailored his leadership skills throughout his time in high school.
“From all of the years playing sports at Newton, I was able to see different types of leaders,” Stanfield said. “I was able to see the type of leader I respect and take different attributes and leadership styles from them during our interactions. I have been able to implement those skills and attributes when leading my teammates.”
The growth he has made as a leader is something that Stanfield hopes to carry on past high school. He believes the skills he has developed will be useful in his next step at college or the service academy.
“I think the leadership aspect in all of it will continue to have an impact on my life after graduation,” Stanfield said. “From these experiences on the team and in school, I learned how to be a better leader and listener.”
Stanfield also mentioned that he learned to become a motivator and mentor between his time in soccer and football. While recently he has had the chance to reflect on his growth at Newton, Stanfield still has one goal he hopes to achieve this season.
“I am hoping that the team will win its first region game,” Stanfield said. “I think since we have been improving as the season has come along, I believe we have a strong possibility that we could achieve this goal. Ultimately, I want us to have fun and enjoy our time together as a team while playing hard.”
Newton had one region game remaining this season against South Gwinnett on Thursday, March 29. Then, it will play its last game of the regular season at home against Salem on April 9.
