November 25, 2010
A family affair in Harrison
(From l to r) Harrison's Mike Rusek Jr., Mike Rusek Sr. and John Rusek.
By Angela Daidone
HCV Staff
The town of Harrison is approximately 1.3 square miles and is populated by little more than 5,000 households. It’s nestled in between Kearny and Newark and is a stone’s throw from Jersey City. If you drive too fast down its main thoroughfare, you can easily miss it.
But when it comes to high school boys soccer, tiny Harrison stands tall over every other program in the state, and it’s got the credentials to prove it.
The Blue Tide own an incredible 24 state titles – a national record. Six of those championships have come during the tenure of current head coach Mike Rusek Jr., who along with assistant coach – his younger brother John – has held the reins for the past ten seasons.
The Blue Tide didn’t add another title to its resume this season. A 4-3 loss in the NJSIAA section semifinals to New Providence left the Ruseks preparing for next year instead.
But there’s no denying that Harrison remains the darling of small-school soccer in Hudson County.
“We’ve been blessed with a lot of talented players,” said Rusek Jr., 37, who also teaches history at the high school.
“Talented” may be an understatement. Kids in Harrison grow up with a soccer ball at their feet and learn the game as soon as they start toddling. Many are of South American or Latin American descent, where futbol is not only cultural but a religion. Where most small towns have sandlots, Harrison has “The Courts” – a gated lot off the main road where soccer is played year-round.
So by the time a player gets to Harrison High and the Rusek brothers, there’s no need to learn the fundamentals of the game. It’s inherent.
But raw talent can only take a team so far, especially on the scholastic level. Good coaching, discipline and nurturing are what make a team a true winner. That’s where the Ruseks step in.
Take for instance a match earlier this season against longtime nemesis Wallington High School.
The Blue Tide entered the game unbeaten at 6-0. Wallington was 5-1 but had the home field. The Panthers also had a tremendous height advantage over Harrison, whose players are much smaller in stature.
After nearly 65 minutes of scoreless soccer, Wallington connected on a fluke play and eventually handed Harrison its first loss of the season.
“It’s always tough to lose a close game but we don’t take it home with us,” said Rusek Jr. after the match. “We move on.”
No barking at his players from the sidelines. No tantrums or throwing clipboards. Instead, the head coach patted each player on the head with a “Good game” and gave them the following day off.
“It was an all-out battle and we could see that they were pretty beat up and tired, so why punish them?” he said. “The players did exactly what we ask of them – play hard and give it their all. As a coach, that’s all you could hope for. It’s unfortunate that we came out on the losing end of things, but that’s the game.”
One of the Rusek rules is good behavior on and off the field. That means no bad language – even in Portuguese, which for many of the Harrison players is their native language. Step out of line and it’s down on the ground for push-ups, Rusek Jr. said.
“One day, John and I said something that we shouldn’t have said and the players heard us,” he laughed. “We had to hit the dirt, too.”
As much as Mike and John keep things in check, there’s another force that, for the past three seasons, has helped calm any rough seas. Their dad, Mike Rusek Sr., joined the Blue Tide roster as a volunteer coach alongside his sons.
Rusek Sr. logged more than 35 years of coaching at neighboring Kearny High, splitting his time between highly successful girls and boys teams before stepping down after the 2007 season.
“At first I wasn’t sure I did the right thing because I wasn’t ready to stay home all the time,” said Rusek Sr. “But when Mike and John asked if I would be interested in helping them out, I jumped at the chance.”
Turns out, it was the best move he could have made, he said.
“It’s been wonderful working with them both,” said Rusek Sr., who according to his son, has both the experience and patience he felt the team could benefit from.
“He’s the calming influence for me and John,” said Rusek Jr. “He reminds us that every kid on the team is someone’s son, and we should offer a sort of parental support, not bully or belittle them.
“To be honest, we got lucky when my dad left Kearny. We robbed one of the most talented coaches in the state,” he said.
Rusek Sr. played for Harrison High in the 1960s and later moved to Kearny where he and his wife raised five children (three sons and two daughters), all of whom he coached. Now he was able to appreciate their talents in a much different way.
“Mike and John do such a great job with the kids. I’m so proud and really happy,” Rusek Sr. said.
The family closeness also has had a positive effect on the players, Rusek Jr. noted.
“A lot of our players come from blue-collar working families, so the parents aren’t always able to come to the games,” he said. “I think we offer them a chance to be part of something they enjoy and yes, we’re coaches, but I would like to think we’re their friends, too.”
Several have gone on to enjoy college careers, which Rusek Jr. said is rare.
“Unfortunately, most of the families cannot afford college or there’s such a language barrier, it makes school difficult for the players,” he said.
A few have made it, though. Recent graduates Bryan Aguilar and Tony Dominguez are playing at Ramapo College and Seton Hall University, respectively. Cristhian Acuna, an All-State player for the 2006 state championship team, enjoyed a productive career at New Jersey City University, where he completed his degree – the first in his family to earn a college diploma.
Most, however, finish high school and go to work. But they continue to play soccer, in men’s leagues or at The Courts. When there’s a big game, though, the stands are packed.
“It means a lot to me when I bump into [former players] at a game or around town that they shake my hand and want to talk for a while,” said Rusek Jr. “It means that what I’m doing here is more than just winning. There’s a bigger picture to it all.”
