Hamilton resident Peter Hall leaps for a ball during a 2-1 win for his Trenton Catholic team against Bordentown Oct. 5, 2012. (Photo by Suzette J. Lucas.)
There’s love at first sight, and there’s love at first strike.
Peter Hall knew he was in love when his foot initially struck a round object.
“My passion for soccer started from the first day I kicked the ball,” Hall said with a laugh. “But my dad played when he was young and so did my uncles. Soccer is my only sport, I have tried other sports but soccer is my main sport.”
With good reason.
As team captain and a defensive midfielder in the Trenton Catholic Academy’ s diamond formation, Hall is called “the best sophomore player in the state of New Jersey,” by Iron Mikes coach Sean Miller.
Hall is certainly one of the top players in Mercer County, but he’s not buying into being the best of anything.
“You can never be the best at what you do because someone else out there is trying to be the best too,” he said with another hearty laugh. “I used to train with the head coach at Mercer County Community College (Tigana Dalce) and he always used to tell us ‘You think you’re good? You need to get better!’
“I work hard to play hard. Some people might say I’m the best and some might say I’m not that good but it doesn’t really matter what they say because when it comes down to playing in games, I always play 110 percent. Hard work in practice pays off on the field.”
Hall picked up his work ethic as a child in Ghana, Africa, where he lived after his parents moved from Liberia.
Unlike the U.S., where there is a rec coach telling kids what to do from diapers on up, Africa is a throwback to America’s old days where kids played pick-up games and were able to develop skills at their own pace.
“We would get together in my community, all the boys and sometimes girls, and we would split the teams and just play,” Hall said. “Sometimes we didn’t even have shoes to wear.”
The Halls moved to Hamilton Township when Peter was around 7-years-old and settled in Bromley. He went to a nearby park and started playing with older players from his African homeland. Hall finally got into a structured league thanks to a guy he only remembers as Mr. Gabe.
“One day my (Greenwood) elementary school had a soccer program that I signed up for,” Peter said. “The janitor at the school was Mr. Gabe, and he would take us out just to play around and have fun.”
Mr. Gabe was so impressed with Hall’s skills that he asked the youngster if he had ever played organized soccer. When informed that Hall never had, the custodian swung into action and signed his prodigy up for a team.
From there, Hall played for the KC United under coaches Kenny Cubberly and George Rago. He also served as a guest player for teams in Hamilton and West Windsor before finding his way on to the Upper Freehold-Allentown Strikers. A team with several key contributors from Hamilton and TCA, the Strikers won the U.S. Club U15 Boys National Cup last July.
When Hall arrived at Trenton Catholic as a freshman, it was the start of a UFA infusion.
“Our whole program changed again when we he came to TCA,” Miller said. “We had just come off a 21-1 season, and he comes in as a freshman and between him and Emmanuel Temeh they were a nightmare for other teams to defend.
“This year, when all his (travel) teammates came to TCA to go to school, Peter was the one that got them through the first month by telling them how to act, what to do, things like that.”
Hall felt it was his responsibility.
“Seven my teammates from UFA came to TCA this year, and every single one is trying their best to help our team reach its goals,” he said. “You know, I try and tell them the good from the bad, what to do and what not to do so they won’t get in trouble.”
On the field, Hall merely needs to play to get his point across, as his skills speak for themselves.
“He is fast, strong, aggressive when he has to be, and very good with the ball at his feet,” Miller said. “He also takes free kicks and penalties, because he is the kid that I trust the most on the field. He is short, but regularly goes up and wins headers against kids eight inches taller than him.”
He promptly became the only 9th-grader named to an All-Area team.
“Last year was a good season,” Hall said. “Nobody thought I would make All-Area as a freshmen. I didn’t think so either. It surprised me because I thought I was going to be getting tossed around playing varsity with guys two or three years older than me.”
Hall is not only talented, but has the kind of maturity that allowed Miller to name him a captain this year on a team that has 12 seniors.
“That in itself means I put my faith in him to be a leader on and off the field for us,” Miller said. “Not just this year, but for the next two years.”
Hall plays both midfield and forward, but is being counted on more for defense this year in the Mikes “Capital” position. He gives the Mikes a solid player in the middle of the field, who can not only stop opposing attackers but also distribute to his own scorers. Hall had two goals and nine assists in the first 16 games.
Trenton Catholic carried a 14-1-1 record into the Mercer County Tournament, with its lone loss coming to national power St. Benedict’s. TCA will again be a threat in the Non Public B Tournament. Rest assured, Hall will be in the middle of any success.
And on days when he’s not playing, he will still have soccer on the mind.
“I watch a lot of soccer, and I consider myself a student and a learner,” Hall said. “I watch for enjoyment sometimes but mostly to see how the pros move the ball, especially the midfielders – two touch, everybody moving, giving an option.
“I try and do that as a midfielder because my job requires a lot of moving and I have to be smart.”
It’s all part of his passion.
“He watches more soccer than any other player on the team,” Miller said. “Peter lives this game.”
It’s a love affair that’s been going strong for years now.
