By James Coffey and Jack Wallace

What is a captain? A captain is a natural leader, and somebody who has earned the respect of his coaches and teammates. A captain is somebody who sets an example both with their performance on the field, and their character off of it. Senior Griffin Barry is just that. Barry, along with his friends Will Kelley, and Colin Priest, was named captain of the 2015 Rangers boys soccer team. His fierce competitiveness on the field as the Rangers goalkeeper, and his ability to inspire his teammates is why he is deserving of the captainship.

Barry has taken on full responsibility of captainship and he embraces it everyday he is on the field, “Being named the team’s captain, I feel a tremendous amount of responsibility to take charge of the team and lead it. On the field, this will translate to me keeping the team’s heads up and focused on winning. I will make sure everyone does their job, that way we can experience the most success as a team”. He adds that the most rewarding part of being captain is “knowing that my coach and the rest of the team trusted me in leading them on the field, and that means a lot to me after playing with the program for four years”.

Barry has been playing soccer almost his whole life and his hard work every step of the way is what he accredits to reaching the competitive level he plays at now. His mom was “the major inspiration to get [him] playing soccer when [he] was younger.” Mrs. Barry played soccer at Boston College, and shared her love for the game with her three kids, Griffin, Skyler, and Jackson. While every moment of his soccer career has meant something to him, Barry’s senior year is the most important.

Barry’s senior year has brought him new responsibilities and new goals for himself and his team. Barry wants to be named league all-star for the second year in a row, and hopes he can produce eight shutouts this season. His expectations for the team are no less lofty. After coming so close to winning in his freshman (quarterfinals), sophomore (finals), and junior (semifinals) years, taking home the district championship is Barry’s main motivation.

Barry has the utmost confidence in his team and believes they truly can win the district title this year. According to Barry, the varsity squad has “a lot of players who have played the game for a while,” and who “know the game tactically”. He hopes the team’s soccer IQ, experience and overall skill level will translate to a “possession-minded team” that can control games and become a title contender.

For Barry, soccer is more than just a game; it’s a lifestyle. While spending so much time on the soccer pitch over the years, Barry has taken away many lessons that he can apply to his busy life off the field. He has worked tirelessly on soccer over the years and knows how hard work pays off, “In soccer, I’ve learned to never stop working hard and to always strive to achieve your goals. I will definitely use these life lessons as I graduate and head to college, as I will need that type of hard work to be successful in school and life as well.”

Barry has hopes of playing Division I soccer at Bryant University. However, if he decides to attend a larger Division I school, he would instead play for a competitive club team at his college. He is still undecided as to what he wants to study beyond high school but his top choices at this point are life sciences of engineering. Wherever Barry ends up he is sure to find success.

Griffin Barry has proven to himself and his team that he has what it takes to be a leader on the pitch and in the classroom. He has made a mark on the Westborough High School community with his outgoing personality in the hallways, and his remarkable saves on the field. Despite all of his incredible achievements throughout his soccer and high school career, Barry is still on a quest “to finally get it done: win a district championship.” It’s his last wish before he leaves Westborough, “I can’t leave without finally winning it, I’ve been too close.” With all the hard work Barry and the Rangers have put in this season, there’s no reason why winning the championship can’t be achieved.