photo courtesy of gobonnies.sbu.edu
By Anthony Goss
ST. BONAVENTURE, NY — In the uncertain times of a global pandemic, the most important things to have on any athletic team are leadership and experience.
As the St. Bonaventure men’s soccer team prepares for an unusual season, it turns to older players such as Shea Currey to set the tone for the program going forward.
“He has a big part to play, on the field and off the field,” said Kwame Oduro, head coach of men’s soccer at SBU. “He has been an excellent role model for our young guys and the new guys coming in.”
Oduro spoke very highly of the senior midfielder, who has developed his own methods of leadership on the team.
“He’s kind of a guy who does it quietly, on the sideline or in the locker room individually,” Oduro said.
Currey was named by the team as a captain for the season, which is scheduled to start during the spring semester. This is his fourth and final season as a Bonnie.
Currey’s journey to St. Bonaventure has not been an ordinary one. He and his family moved from Liverpool, England to Orlando, Florida, where he attended Montverde High School.
Leaving Orlando to come to SBU presented some challenges, but he wasn’t alone.
“From the beginning I felt like I always I had friends, family, people I could rely on,” Currey said.
The years at Bona’s have been very special for Currey. He has been on the soccer team for the past three years, and now in his last year, he is looking to give back.
“Now as a senior, I am just trying to give back what I’ve been taught from the seniors, and just keep traditions going, and keeping that family feel,” he said.
COVID-19 has posed many problems for student-athletes and coaches in all sports. Despite this, Currey looked toward the positives of the current situation and was thankful to be back out on the field.
“We’ve got to make the most out of our time on the field and try and get better for when the games do come back,” he said.
Improvement has been something Currey has focused on, and Oduro has seen the developments in his game.
Oduro wanted the team to stay motivated in a strange offseason. Specifically, for Currey, he wanted him to clean up his first touch on the ball. He raved about the strides Currey has made in the offseason.
“It’s been miles apart in [his] technique and work rate, and just the cleanliness of [his] touches and [his] passes,” Oduro said.
Currey acknowledged the improvements he has made, but continued to keep a selfless approach to the season and staying ready for when the time comes. As a captain, he believes he will be prepared and knows his job in making sure his team is ready as well.
Currey also described his experience with fellow senior and teammate Francesco Caorsi.
Caorsi and Currey each play midfield, and compete against each other often in practice.
“For me, I just like going up against him because he is really good,” Currey said. “He definitely helps bring out the best in me for sure.”
Whichever way the season turns out, Currey will be ready to lead by example and take the improvements he made in the offseason and translate them to game action on the field.
“I’m just going to keep working hard, keep doing what I’m doing, and just try to perform my best when the time comes,” he said.
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