Local youth soccer team goes undefeated in back-to-back seasons

BEVERLY HILLS — The Birmingham Bloomfield Soccer Club U9 team has completed back-to-back undefeated seasons and extended the team’s winning streak to 16 games.

On June 7, the BBSC Warriors played the team’s final game of the season and won, giving the team a first-place trophy for the second year in a row.

“I expect them to win first place again,” BBSC Warriors head coach Michael Dedivonai said before the team’s final game. “I don’t see these kids losing.”

On the field, the team has been incredible. David Dedivonai, Yaseen Khan and Baset Sadat have led the team in scoring so far this season, with all three finishing the year with around 20 goals.

“Yaseen is small … but he’s got a bullet shot,” Dedivonai explained. “They love the game. They (all) have a passion for the game. … Already I hear them talking about wanting scholarships. It’s just been such a blessing.”

The team has also received great, consistent contributions from Ameer and Ramy Jumaa, Luke Cindric, George and Rocco Rea, Dylan Cassar, and goaltender Arlo Hamburger.

The Warriors are also one of the only teams in the league with a female player. Ariana Dedivonai has scored twice this season against all-boys teams.

Off the field, the team is extremely diverse, with Albanian, Pakistani, Afghan, Croatian and Polish families all making up the roster.

“It’s a multicultural team. Everybody loves each other, which is a blessing,” Dedivonai said. “We’re all united.”

The bonding the families and the kids have done outside of the soccer setting is many of the parents favorite part of the team. There’s structure and a passion for the game, but there’s also relationships being created that will last well beyond the season.

“That’s a thing that’s very different from the previous (soccer) experience that we had. The team is very diverse,” Irm Khan, mother of Yaseen Khan, said. “I don’t feel like there’s a division here. I feel like it’s diverse, but at the same time, we’re all one.”

It’s also impressive to see the mix of talent levels on the Warriors team. There are players who have been playing soccer for most of their lives mixed in with first-year players, and you’d never be able to tell which is which when watching the team practice.

“(Dedivonai) never discourages any of the kids or says anything negative to any of them,” Khan said. “It’s a totally different experience from what we had with the last team (Yaseen) was on. We’re very happy.”

Another reason for the team’s success has been the energy that surrounds the players. Despite the on-field success, it’s not the only thing that matters to the players and coaches. Everyone truly just wants to have fun and create a friendly environment.

“Winning is fun, but I like the fact that when you don’t make winning the focus, that’s when you actually win,” Khan explained. “It’s been an extremely positive experience for us and for my son. He’s definitely thriving.”

So what’s next for the U9 superteam? Well, last season the Warriors beat a travel team in a shocking comeback victory. There may be an opportunity for the group to continue moving up and start scheduling better and better teams.

“We played a traveling team, and they were beating us too, 2-0. We came back and won 4-2,” Dedivonai said. “I had some of the parents come to me, and they said … ‘You should think about making these kids a traveling team.’”

Regardless of what the future holds, this team of elementary school kids has made memories and experiences that will last a lifetime. The success on the field and the camaraderie off the field have left a mark on the community.

“They’re so successful because they love the game and they love one another. It almost brings me to tears,” Dedivonai said. “All our neighbors have seen our videos and the newspaper clips. … These kids work so hard. I just want to reward them.”

The BBSC Warriors have had back to back perfect 8-0 seasons, and will look to keep growing. For more information on the Birmingham Bloomfield Soccer Club, visit www.bbscsoccer.com.