Climbing Mount Washington represented a lot more than a simple outdoor activity. The mountain also represented the USL.
The team will work and suffer together to be competitive. It’s with this attitude that FC Montreal braved the altitude last Friday.
“The goal was to do an outdoor activity with a particular symbolism,” explained head coach Philippe Eullaffroy. “This mountain of almost 2,000 meters represented the new league for us. Collectively, all players started at the bottom of the mountain and we climbed and suffered together. We have to go through these challenges to arrive on top.”
The difficulty level was there. Academy veterans are used to this annual activity since, every year, Eullaffroy brings his group to hike Mont Tremblant. This year, with a new team in a new league, the staff wanted a different challenge.
The slopes are steeper as you approach the top and the last meters to climb are in the snow, despite the heat and the sun.
But in the end, it’s with a smile that players reached the peak; out of breath, but still smiling.
“I think we reached our goal with this activity on the team building side,” said Eullaffroy. “It’s an amazing place for this type of endeavor. There were smiles, suffering and solidarity since some places were quite dangerous and difficult to climb.”
Their teamwork will be tested this week as FC Montreal hosts the Charleston Battery on the synthetic turf at Stade Saputo, Thursday at 4pm, as the team is still looking for its first USL victory.
Lack of confidence? Not really. First or last, players know they are judged on progression and if they keep applying game principles and respecting the club’s identity, progress will come as well as points in the standings.
“The atmosphere and the motivation are still there despite the tough results so far this season,” said Eullaffroy. “It shows that we live well together. When we face adversity with people who are all on the same page, it helps us fight it and maximizes our success rate.”
