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Keeping it indoors

Christopher Kamrani, Of the Record staff

Anthony Alcox itches for his moment.

The Park City senior maneuvers around defenders, weaves through traffic, traps a dipping cross and fires home a shot past a helpless goalie from point-blank range.

That is his moment.

But, in retrospect, it doesn’t really matter all that much on a grander scale of things. After all, it is November, and tryout for Miners boys’ soccer is still a little over three months away.

Alcox, along with his teammates, have started their off-season training at the Snyderville Basin Recreation Field House. The Tuesday and Thursday "drop-ins" were designed by head coach Caro Caro to help the players gel earlier rather than later.

"A lot of these players have just come back from their club season. We want to utilize the Field House and reacquaint the boys with each other," Caro said. "The idea is to get them back together and get the chemistry going."

A cast of former Park City players who have starred under Caro graciously responded to his request to come back and scrimmage the team in hopes of helping it gel as a unit.

"That’s why I set it up," Caro said. "These players are ones that still have kept that philosophy of mine. They were willing to come and it’s very positive for the players to match up against a higher level of competition. It’s a different level."

Alcox, who led the team in goals scored last season with eight in 16 matches played, is one of the key senior leaders that the team will be rallying around come early March when the team is picked and asked to get on to the pitch for the first time.

"It helps us so much," said Alcox about going up against former PCHS standouts. "You have to remember, most of those guys have a (championship) ring. All of them play at the experience level that we need to in order to win again."

Along with fellow seniors Eric Laufer and Bryan Park, Alcox’s presence on the field is something the Miners will look to lean on, and if his winter form carries over to spring, Park City will be in good hands.

"I’d rather lose here, than lose in the bigger picture," Alcox said. "Of course, being a competitor, we always have the drive to want to win. Now, it’s more of a statement, being that this is your year."

This November training is the last time the head coach can practice with his players there is a "black-out" period that runs through December and into January in which the coach will not be able to see his kids practice, or even talk to them in some time periods.

"This is the only month I’ll be able to be in contact with them for a while," Caro said. "After that, we’ll be back in February in a short month, hold tryouts on Feb. 28, announce the team on March 2 and have our first preseason game on March 4. This (training) helps introduce newcomers to my philosophies."

Alcox knows that his high school career will be over sooner than later, and that taking things for granted aren’t exactly in the cards.

"You have to adapt," he said. "You have to be able to be the guy to get others to step up. The mentality shifts."

The end goal hasn’t changed for Park City Alcox can attest to that.

"Rings are hard to come by," he said. "But if you can come out saying you have more than one ring, you’ll feel good about yourself."

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