The winning formula: Players, coaches transforming Bethel men's soccer
The team has improved greatly this past year with the help of players and coaches like Maksimovic and Milicevic.
When reflecting on the past two soccer seasons, it is apparent that the Bethel College Men’s Soccer Team has made a huge turnaround. This past fall, the Threshers finished 5th in the KCAC, a huge improvement compared to 2022 when they finished 11th in the conference.
This past fall was the first time the team had a winning record in over five years.
Head coach Luka Milicevic played a prominent role in the team’s success and shared that going into this past season, the staff did their best to set higher expectations.
“In 2022 our body language was saying ‘We don’t belong in the top half of the conference,’” said Milicevic. “And that really changed this past fall when our guys were getting more and more hungry as the season progressed.” This change was apparent when the team stepped foot on the pitch: in 2022 the team made 26 total goals, and in 2023 the team made 44 goals.
Not only did the mindset of the team change this past season, but the team also gained an extremely valuable freshman from Belgrade, Serbia, Filip Maksimovic.
Maksimovic shared some of his initial goals, “Before I came here I told coach I was going to score a lot.” He ended up leading the team in goals with 22 and was ranked third in the NAIA for goals scored. In addition to scoring goals, he also set his teammates up for success and finished the season with seven assists.
In talking with Maksimovic, he emphasized the importance of a confident mindset when playing. “You need to think you’re better than anyone else in that specific moment,” said Maksimovic. “So I always think I will easily beat a defender if I play my game.”
Growing up, Maksimovic played a variety of sports but he always knew that he wanted to primarily focus on soccer. He quickly learned the importance of having a strong work ethic, whether that was at practice or in games.
“I was always giving my all on the field and in practice and I was always saying to myself if you don’t do good in practice you won’t do good in games. Talent without work is nothing,” Maksimovic said.
“I was always giving my all on the field and in practice and I was always saying to myself if you don’t do good in practice you won’t do good in games. Talent without work is nothing.”
Filip Maksimovic
Compared to the soccer culture back home in Serbia, Maksimovic wishes there was a greater appreciation for the sport in the U.S. “I think soccer is not really appreciated here as it is back home, and it is one of the most popular sports in the world, so I would like it to get more recognition here,” he said. The environment here, Maksimovic mentioned, was a cultural shock given the quieter atmosphere, in contrast to the city, where he lived before coming to Bethel.
The ultimate decision to attend Bethel was a combination of his want to play soccer and his want to play for an excellent coach like Milicevic. In talking with him, Maksimovic emphasized the strong relationship he has with his head coach, “...At the moment I feel like he’s my older brother here”.
The feeling is mutual as Milicevic shared his appreciation for Maksimovic as a teammate and player. “Filip Maksimovic is a born leader and someone who sets his expectations high. The locker room feeds off his energy and confidence. He makes everyone around him better.”
Milicevic hopes that the growth of the team will continue into the offseason: “The boys need to keep gelling together,” explained Milicevic. “Through good and bad they will grow to become closer to each other.”