Record Newspapers Athlete of the Week: Ben Burns, Oswego East, soccer, senior

Name: Ben Burns

School: Oswego East, senior

Sport: Soccer

Why he was selected: Burns had a goal and an assist in the Wolves’ 5-1 win over Metea Valley in the Class 3A Batavia Regional final, as Oswego East won the first regional championship in school history. He was voted by readers as the Record Newspapers Athlete of the Week. Here is his interview with Sports Editor Joshua Welge.

Welge: What did it mean to win the regional title?

Burns: It’s the first regional we ever won, we all set a goal together before the season that we wanted to win it. It meant a lot that we performed as well as we did.

Welge: What happened on the two goals you were a part of?

Burns: The first one, the ball, he crossed it to me, I was actually behind a defender. I didn’t know the ball would come to me until I was in front of the defender. I headed it and put it in. The second goal that I assisted, it was a header off of a cross, I headed it back to my teammate.

Welge: How many goals and assists does that make for you this season?

Burns: I have 20 goals, not sure about assists, around 10.

Welge: How significant is this season for you personally?

Burns: It means a lot. I broke my leg right before the season started last year. I was at a college camp, some guy kicked me really hard; I had surgery about four weeks before tryouts and I was out for a couple months until the end of the season. It was a big motivating factor for me this season.

Welge: When did you get introduced to soccer?

Burns: I’ve been playing since I was about 4 years old and I moved into my first year of club when I was 10. That’s when I started taking it seriously. I quit club for my freshman year of high school because of some injuries. I grew 6 inches the summer between my freshman and sophomore years. That gave me a lot of confidence.

Welge: How did that growth spurt affect your game?

Burns: My style changed. When I was shorter, I was kind of slow, too. I feel like now I’m bigger and faster and stronger. I’m really good at finishing now.