FORT FAIRFIELD, Maine — When the girls varsity soccer position opened up at Fort Fairfield, Chris Condon was ready.
A Presque Isle native, Condon moved back to the area in 2021 after spending several years in southern Maine in the insurance field.
“I am working my way out of the business and want to find ways to give back to the community, especially the County which has been so good to me throughout my lifetime,” Condon said. “I see coaching as a rewarding way of helping kids grow.”
He had coached youth level teams in Yarmouth when his daughter played over a decade ago and was anxious to get back into it.
Condon takes over a Fort Fairfield team which included all-state player Camryn Ala and some other key cogs a year ago that compiled a 10-3-1 record during the 2021 season before falling to Madawaska in the Class D North quarterfinals.
Fort Fairfield’s current roster includes 14 players who are either freshmen or sophomores.
Key seniors are Kassidy Gorneault, who plays fullback, along with striker Jayde McKenney, offensive wing Emma Kilcollins and midfielder Areli Anguiano. Junior Lydia Gorneault also plays midfield, while classmate Brittany Bragg gets the start in goal.
Among the talented 10th-graders who will play key roles are Morgan Castonguay and Hannah Chartier at midfield, fullbacks Adrianna Ybarrondo and Brianna Osterblom and forwards Skyler Oakes, Mattey Devine and Makelle Gerhauser. Cady Stairs will also see action on defense, while Kaydence Dean is a midfield reserve.
Freshmen on the team are midfielder Cyra Barnes, defender Clare Kilcollins and offensive wings Sare Bernard, Riley Michaud and Isabella Winters.
Laney Devine and Crystal Forbes are the managers.
Under Condon, the Tigers have had two significant areas of concentration to begin the season.
“First, we have focused on fitness. I believe that a well-conditioned athlete has a significant decrease in injury and a fit athlete has more fun as they perform better on the field,” he said. “And second, as a young team, I have been challenging the underclassmen to take leadership roles, which is new to them.”
Condon realizes with such a young team, following up last year’s success will be difficult, but he is anxious to see how the season unfolds.
“The team graduated six players and it is going to take a while to develop and fill those positions,” he said. “We have talked about working towards a winning season and expect to peak in late October.”
