Lynbrook-East Rockaway Lizards go for the goal

The lizards with their coaches: Top row from left: Co-coached Carlos Ospina and Matt Kaplan; players Sydney Amato, Alexa Kaplan, Julia Heaney, Christine Collins, Meaghan Cleary, Hannah Copeman, Daesha Silva, Gabrielle Patrick, Rachael Putelo, and Co-coach Rich Ford. Bottom row: Team trainer Rawle “Ra” Scope; players Kirsthie Rodriguez, Alexa Amato, Kristen Mihalich, Jaclyn Rafferty, Alexa Ford, Natalie Ospina, and Kacie Curran.

Courtesy Rawle "Ra" Scope

Lynbrook-East Rockaway Lizards players Alexa Kaplan, Gabrielle Patrick and Meaghan Cleary with Ceili Belle Scope, daughter of Rawle “Ra” Scope, the team’s trainer.

Courtesy Rawle "Ra" Scope

PlayerS Display their medals: Meaghan Cleary, Kacie Curran, Rachael Putelo, Kristen Mihalich, Julia Heaney, Alexa Ford, and at bottom, Natalie Ospina.

Courtesy Rawle "Ra" Scope

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The Lynbrook-East Rockaway Lizards soccer team has truly grown up together, closer than most sports team may be, said co-coaches Matt Kaplan and Rich Ford.

It feels like family because pretty much everyone has known each other for several years now. “Our girls really have grown up together,” Kaplan said. “The coaching staff, parents and girls have all developed a bond with each other.” Though the girls are now 13- and 14 –year- old teenagers, Kaplan remembers when they were just 8 and 9 years old.

The coaches, also including co-coach Carlos Ospina, started the team nearly ten years ago. Since then, Ford has come to think of the teens as daughters ­— something that has touched his heart. “Soccer is only the part of this that causes us to come together, but the actual experience is so much greater than the game,” he said.

Their experience has been a very bright one, full of great triumphs. This season, the team of more than a dozen teens is still undefeated. They have had three wins, one tie, and no losses. Just a few weeks back during Labor Day weekend, the team placed second in a soccer tournament in Oceanside.

Last month, the team’s season opener against East Islip was a notable highlight. “It was a very exciting physical game,” said Rawle “Ra” Scope, the team’s new trainer. “The visitors scored in the first half, and our girls came back in the second half with a beautiful assist … the game ended 1-1, but both the parents and coaches were very pleased with the way the girls played.” Samantha Saad, captain of the college women’s soccer team at Molloy College, said the girls played like Long Island Junior Soccer League division 1 champions, though the girls are ranked in division 3, according to Scope.

This year, Scope, a strength and conditioning coach and co-owner of Achieve Fitness in East Rockaway, joins the team. He is working with the teens on their fitness, stretching and on-field strength training. Kaplan reached out to Scope to come on board, getting the teens to become more competitive, Scope said.

The group practices for a hour and a half every Thursday night at Greis Park in Lynbrook. Their games are every Sunday, playing close to ten per season, according to Scope.