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Coach Ben Cooper and Chaffey College men’s soccer prepare for important mid-season match
(Credit: Chaffey College Athletics/BVM Sports)

Coach Ben Cooper and Chaffey College men’s soccer prepare for important mid-season match

CHINO HILL, Calif. — Coach Ben Cooper and the Chaffey College men’s soccer team prepare to take on an undefeated El Camino College this Friday at 3 p.m.

A Brief Career Overview
Billie Jean King once said, “Winning comes down to who can execute under pressure.” In that case, the Panthers are in great hands as Cooper is no stranger to high pressured situations. In his time at Chaffey, he has won four conference championships, with the most recent two coming to fruition in the 2014 and 2015 seasons.

In the seasons following his championships, Cooper has consistently proven his worth. In 2017, the Panthers finished second in the South Coast Conference — a community college athletic conference that is regarded as one of the most competitive in the state. Then, just one year after, the Panthers had a run in the playoffs, only to be defeated by Santa Monica College. They were then relocated to a different conference for the 2019 season, where they were the highest-seeded playoff team in the Inland Empire Athletic Conference (IEAC). Six players from this team received all-conference accolades.

Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, there was no 2020 season. Cooper and the Panthers will be fighting with grit and passion to regain their Pre-COVID reputation and to make up for the lost time.

A Love For Soccer

Cooper’s love and profound admiration for the ‘beautiful game’ could not be more apparent. Soccer is deeply rooted in his professional and home life. His marriage to the Chaffey College women’s head coach is a testament to his deep commitment to the game. Cooper ceaselessly travels Southern California on the off-season in search of a player that he can sculpt into the next great Panther. In a short biographical piece written by the Chaffey athletic department, Cooper says, “The off-season is the busiest part of the job by far. Being in season in the fall is the fun part, and the easy part.”

Sports have always been beneficial in molding the youth; Cooper believes that soccer is a great platform to teach young men how to be stand-out people, not just stand-out players.

“While you always want to win as many games as possible, I hope my student-athletes leave our soccer program knowing that there’s so much more to life and their futures than winning a soccer game,” Cooper said.

Cooper heads into the halfway point of his 16th season as head coach of the Panthers and understands the importance of winning on Friday. This season has had its fair share of close calls, but, all in all, he and his players have had solid performances up to this point. This match-up, however, could be a turning point in the season. With a 4-2-2 record, the Panthers have little wiggle room for another loss. The Warriors, on the other hand, will be confident and hard to beat.

This is an unedited user writing submission. The views, information, or opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Best Version Media or its employees.