This phrase, quipped by British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, is what drives the Middlesex Boys’ Soccer Program forward. Our program’s mission is to work simultaneously towards individual development and collective goals, while working to actualize the talent and potential in each player. Some of the values and character traits that we strive to teach and develop are rooted in servant leadership: generosity, humility, and sacrifice. The primary goal of the varsity squad each year is to increase the interconnectedness of the group throughout the season- to trust and support our teammates and respect the game and all involved, including ourselves. The soccer-specific qualities essential to our competitiveness and success include the improvement of technical ability and speed of play, fitness and athleticism, soccer intelligence- on and off the ball, and other intangibles like attitude, commitment, teamwork, and pride in the Middlesex jersey and all that it represents. As coaches, we seek to instill confidence, motivation, innovation, and constant improvement through close mentorship while actively distinguishing between enduring values and shifting organizational practices. Emphasis is placed upon building a positive team culture that promotes good citizenship, is meaningful, and above all FUN and rewarding for all those involved. Maintaining our collective focus towards daily improvement is the goal that we strive to attain, and it defines our success as a team. It is our constancy of purpose.
Over Coach Risley's tenure as head coach the team has won the Gummere Cup as the ISL Champion, the New England Class B Championship, the Founder's Bowl as the ISL Runners-Up, been the #1 seed in the NEPSAC tournament, enjoyed a 34-match unbeaten streak against ISL opposition, completed an undefeated season, and earned multiple trips to the Class B New England Tournament. Middlesex soccer has proven that competitiveness and sportsmanship are not mutually exclusive, as we have been awarded both the ISL’s Wiedergott Improvement Plate and the coveted Blood Trophy for sportsmanship and competitiveness on multiple occasions in recent seasons.
The soccer facilities at Middlesex School are unsurpassed in the ISL, including six elite natural grass fields and two field turf surfaces that have hosted the New England Prep School Soccer Championship matches as well as numerous college, professional, and national teams over the years. The program includes three teams of varying ability each fall: a Varsity, Junior Varsity, and a Thirds team. The Middlesex Boys’ Varsity and Junior Varsity teams have also traveled to Europe for preseason training on numerous occasions.
Head Coach Ken Risley brings a unique blend of professional playing experience and decades of elite coaching and teaching experience that has included a PDL (now USL-2) National Championship and a winning stint as a Div. I NCAA assistant coach while being honored as both Coach of the Year (South Carolina Private School & New England Prep School Boys' Coach of the Year) and Teacher of the Year (City of Alexandria, VA) along the way. Ken Risley is nationally licensed by the NSCAA/United Soccer Coaches, teaches history and lives on the Middlesex campus with his wife, Courtney, their son, Tommy, and daughter, Campbell.
If you have any questions or would like additional information about the program, please feel free to email Coach Risley at
krisley@mxschool.edu