Soccer's Captain in the Community

For Boston College men's soccer, success is a byproduct of work. Two seasons ago, they stood on the cusp of the College Cup when they advanced to the Elite Eight. Last season, another NCAA Tournament berth brought another postseason victory, keeping the Eagles among national contenders.

The hard work and sacrifice it takes to get to that level has to be hardwired into the program. It's a year-round commitment and it more often than not lacks the concept of an offseason. Athletes train and dedicate themselves just as much, if not more, at a time when there are no games. It requires leadership and leadership stems from captains.

This spring, Beverly, Mass., native Henry Balf found himself tabbed as the torch-bearer for the Eagles soccer team. Named captain of next year's roster, he now tasks himself with helping take BC to the next level, both on and off the soccer field.

"It's a great feeling to become captain (of the team)," Balf said. "Spring is always tough because there are no games. So our goal is just to get motivated for workouts when there's no real schedule to prepare for. I know that can get pretty hard, so I'm just trying to lead by example, to bring energy to my teammates for those workouts."

Balf stands as one of the Eagles' most consistent performers. Though he appeared in only 16 games last season, he spent his first two seasons without missing a single match. He started all but one game during his sophomore season, one of only four Eagles to start 20 matches that season.

But success isn't limited to on the pitch. A champion for community service, Balf recognizes the need to get the team into the surrounding neighborhoods. As a Massachusetts native, he knows how powerful the Boston College brand can become and how it can be used to help drive work that is often considered thankless.

"BC does a great job with community service," he said, "and as an institution they make it really easy (to volunteer). We've done some things as a program, but we can take advantage of our status as a team and do more. I hope that I can help step up and do more of it (next year)."

For Balf, it also encompassed a wide range of interests. This past year, the soccer team visited local elementary school children to talk about BC soccer. Though he wasn't personally on that trip, "I know it went really well," he said.

There was also the annual Cycle for Survival. As one of the soccer players contributing to the event, the rising senior took part in his team's portion of the cycle to raise money for cancer research. "We had a good group of guys from our team," he said, "and it's a great event that helps raise a ton of money."

And there was the Festival of Friendship - an event similar to Special Olympics - that serves children in the Greater Boston area with special needs. "It's something we want to do a lot more of moving forward," he reiterated. "Coach Kelly is great and lets the players dictate what they want to do for community service. He's not one to push us into things, which really lets us take the lead in getting involved."

It's something that strikes even closer to home for the Bay State native. Emphasizing the importance of local ties to the community, Balf touched on his own experiences growing up on the North Shore. "The school has a great presence with a big alumni base, and the more we can do in the community is great," he said. "And it will be great for us too since the best way to get more people out to watch is to be active in those communities. It starts at the youth level and works its way up.

"It's important to me," he continued. "I've had birthday parties at Boston College basketball games. I grew up going to BC football and basketball. So it's important to me to give back since I'm here."

It's something that he hopes will sustain the team's success in their service to others and in game situations. With one year left, Balf leads a senior class that's tasted the sweet drink of success but hasn't been able to claim the cup for its own.

"We've had success," he said, "but we need to still challenge for an ACC regular season or tournament title. A couple of years ago, we went to the Elite Eight and we proved that we can play at an elite level. Now we just need to get over that hump. I want to win before I'm done and I think that's become the mentality for everyone on our team."

Players Mentioned

Henry Balf

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