Courtesy of Normandy Studios

The Boy’s soccer team does the “dale vu” during the pep rally in October.

The Bernards boys’ soccer team has always been different. Ranging from its famous “Dale Vu” to its long-time coach, Joe LaSpada, the team has developed a reputation for being an overachieving force on the field, as well as a tight-knit group off of it.. As the team embarks on a State Tournament run, in search of its first state championship since their victory in 2011, now is a good time to take an inside look at some of the traditions and unique characteristics of the team.

For nearly a decade, the “Dale Vu” has been a hallmark of the team. The chant, which is performed at the pep rally and after home victories, is sung in Guarani, a Paraguayan dialect spoken by many members of the team over the years. More than a pump-up song, the “Dale Vu” also speaks to the team’s diversity. Over fifteen countries, including Paraguay, Argentina, Guatemala, England, and Iran, are represented by players on the team and bus rides home from away games often involve more chants and songs that reference each player or their family’s country of origin.

Much of the team’s energy both on and off the field is derived from coach Joe LaSpada, who is approaching the milestone of five hundred wins. LaSpada, who graduated from Bernards in the 1970s, founded the program and has coached it ever since. During his time as coach, the team has won three state championships, a county tournament, and several conference titles. A gym teacher at Bernardsville Middle School when he is not on the soccer field, LaSpada is known for the iconic passion he displays on the sidelines he has been patrolling for over three decades.

In his time as coach, he has also started many traditions of his own. Pasta parties organized by the players’ parents are held during pre-season and the night before big games. Besides allowing players to eat a nutritious pre-game meal, these events serve as bonding experiences for the team. Another food-oriented tradition the team has kept up are their pizza games. After wins in important games, often those held on Saturdays, LaSpada treats the team to pizza and drinks at a local pizza joint. This tradition is yet another way the team spends time together off the field during the season. Yet, preparations on the field start months before the home opener in early September.

Starting in December, the team convenes at the Middle School Gym on Wednesday nights for weekly indoor captains’ practices. These practices are opportunities for the team to stay sharp during the winter months and also give 8th graders who will be joining the team the chance to get to know the team. These practices continue until the start of the club soccer season in early Spring before starting back up again in June in the form of conditioning workouts and more captains’ practices. Before the team takes the field for the official start of pre-season in early August, the team has already been playing with each other for months and Coach LaSpada has already started preparing for a demanding regular season schedule.

When the team takes on Matawan on Tuesday in the first round of the NJSIAA Central, Group 2 Tournament, it will look to convert months of preparations on and off the field into a “return to the promised land”, a phrase Coach LaSpada uses to refer to the team’s ultimate goal: a state championship.