Website Manager

News Detail

24

Sep, 2015

Terrence Saylor- Balancing Soccer with Scouting

 

If you have visited Circleville Park recently for soccer practice, you've noticed the new rebound wall.

The rebound wall was a summer project undertaken by CSA player and State College HS Junior (Class of 2017), Terrence Saylor. Terrence as played in CSA for many years, and most recently as a goalkeeper on the Centre Force '97-98 team in the Region 1 Champions League. Terrence approached Center Soccer's Board of Directors about donating towards the project for his Eagle Scout certification after making all approvals & arrangements on his own with Centre Region Parks and Recreation.
This was a really great job, and we had a chance to ask Terrence some questions about the project, playing soccer, and scouting. Centre Soccer supports our players' off the field interests. Here's what Terrance had to say.

 
CSA: How long have you been playing soccer for CSA? How long have you been in Scouting?
    
Terrence: I’ve played soccer with CSA for 11 years starting as a U5. I started playing as a goalie during my U12 season and played that position from then on. I have been a part of scouting for ten years. I started in first grade when I joined cub scout pack 31, based out of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church. I moved into boy scouts at the end of fifth grade, when I joined Troop 32, based out of the State College Presbyterian Church.


   

CSA: What are your best memories?

  
Terrence: My best memories from playing soccer with CSA are from the Hempfield tournaments. Whether it was penalty shootouts or a hard fought clean-sheet, I loved every minute of those tournaments.

 

 



CSA: What was this project, and what made you decide to do it?
    
Terrence: My eagle scout project was to build a soccer rebound wall at Circleville Park so that athletes of all ages can have something to practice with, even if they’re by themselves. I decided to do this project because I loved the project concept at Fogleman Park and thought that every park needed one of that quality.

 

CSA: What do you like about scouting?
Terrence: Scouting has molded me into the person I am today. Whether I’m camping in the woods, playing sports, or doing schoolwork, my years of scouting experience have taught me to do my best no matter what I’m doing. Scouting has also given me the opportunities to go to some really neat places around the state and country like Ricketts Glen State Park, Cleveland, Ohio, and the Ridgway Chainsaw Rendezvous. I encourage anyone interested in becoming a better person or learning new things to give scouts a try.


 

CSA: How difficult was it to build a rebounding wall?
Terrence: At first, the project was really intimidating with all of the steps like meeting with committees and officials, drawing construction plans, budgeting, seeking donations, purchasing materials, getting work crews, and then actually building the wall, but after getting the project approved, the steps fell together nicely and I could work at it in chunks rather than doing it all at the same time. I also had some help from other scouts who have done their projects and they gave me lots of great advice about how to do my project as efficiently as possible.

 


CSA: How were you able to balance playing sports with scouting? Was it difficult?
  
Terrence: Sport events and scout events always found a way to conflict with each other and I would always have to choose between the two. Fortunately for me, both were just as enjoyable and there was never a decision that I regretted. Although there were time conflicts, I always found time for both of them and made sure to work towards my eagle scout award while I was away from scouts during sports seasons.

 

CSA: Any advice for kids trying to balance multiple activities?
Terrence: Always have a plan, a backup plan, and another backup plan. It doesn’t matter if you’re balancing sports activities, band activities, scout activities, or anything else. You should always have a plan to try to attend and be prepared for everything. Keeping a calendar and managing your dates and time conflicts ahead of schedule is much better than trying to figure it all out an hour before you have practice.