
Throughout the 2020-21 school year, Taft head coach Ozzie Parente watched Myzel Pinsker rapidly progress.
In intrasquad scrimmages that fall, Parente noticed Pinsker’s increased fitness level and tactical understanding. In winter skill sessions, his confidence started to stand out.
In May 2021, Pinsker and some teammates participated in an ID camp, and Parente went to watch. Pinsker’s performance in the showcase blew Parente away.
“I was like, ‘Wow, Myzel is playing the best I’ve seen him play,’” Parente said. “We were really excited, people were sort of like ‘Who is this kid?’”
Near the end of the camp, Pinsker (Orange, Conn.) made a run to latch onto a through ball and didn’t see the goalie on his blind side. The two players collided, and the keeper’s force ended up breaking Pinsker’s leg.