Sam Sibella brings a different sort of charisma to the table. Steady, reserved, and inside his own head a lot, the Marblehead teen, a center back on St. John’s Prep’s soccer squad, was voted a quad-captain by his teammates this preseason in spite of never having been part of the varsity lineup until this fall. Talk about a quiet cool.
He is one of two varsity athletes in his house. His sister, Sophia, is a sophomore striker at Austin Prep and has been a varsity soccer player since eighth grade. Be that as it may, Sibella makes a point of noting that he has the edge in most one-on-one matchups between two on local playing fields.
The 6-foot, 154-pound Sibella doesn’t immediately come across as a guy you’d move to the front of the line as a team’s last line of defense. Within a few minutes, mind you, his quiet intensity and deep desire to embody a two-way impact out of the back third is self-evident.
“On paper, the main job of the two center backs is to stop opposing attacks,” said Sibella, who turns 18 in November. “But our coaches put a lot of focus on building up our own attack from the back. We’re confident with the ball at our feet as a defense and we’ll move it around until something opens up. That doesn’t mean we’re afraid to go over the top and serve long balls to the strikers for a quick counterattack.”
Determination notwithstanding, it remains a puzzle how Sibella, a depth guy until the program graduated 14 seniors last spring, was elected as a captain by his peers prior to this season. That is, until you ask.
“Sam is just a natural leader,” says junior goalkeeper Matt Droggitis, 17, a Peabody resident. “When he’s on the field, he’s constantly talking and helping others out with his communication. He gives his best effort every time he takes the field.”
Prep coach Dave Crowell, who’s now in his 24th season and authored his 300th victory a year ago, puts an even finer point on the matter.
“Sam was elected captain because of his leadership skills and he demonstrates them every day at practice. He’s also a center back who’s strong in the air and does a good job of reading the game.”
Given that by his own description, Sibella is not an in-your-face, rah-rah guy in the pregame huddle or halftime break, what are these leadership qualities folks keep talking about?
“I think I’ve always done the little things, the extra things that not many players want to do,” he said. “You know, bag the balls after practice. Move cones around the field. Just helping out with all the stuff some people think of as menial. I’m not a screamer or a complainer. I try to lead by example.”
Level-headed, composed and subtly influential though he may be, Sibella, who plans to study biology in college, is not without doubts when he’s the only guy between an onrushing forward and the net.
“For me, there’s always been that mental game where you fight against becoming a little bit negative and getting in your head,” he said. “That can become detrimental and feed on itself. That happened to us against Catholic Memorial (earlier this month when the Prep surrendered three of the 13 goals it’s permitted all season). So you’re constantly trying to maintain that optimism even if you feel like you’re not in control of the game. It’s something I’ve been trying to work on as the season has progressed. I used to let it get to me. Badly. Now, I think it’s a lot better.”
State champions in 2022, St. John’s soccer started this season 10-0 and entered this week on a six-game unbeaten streak.
Favorites…
Athlete: Kevin De Bruyne (Belgian footballer)
Pre-game/competition song: “Whatever Coach Crowell is playing”
Pre-game meal: Friday night team pasta dinners
Pizza topping: pepperoni
Best self-cooked meal: bacon, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich with pesto
Beverage: hot apple cider
Animal: sharks