Familiar face back at PCA: Victor Chavez holds soccer camp for fall prospects

Published 7:37 am Friday, June 13, 2025

By Jason O. Boyd

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BELHAVEN, N.C. — Last week’s Pungo Christian Academy soccer camp was being carried out by a familiar face.

Victor Chavez returns to the program he recently helped lead to success. He has spent the last couple of seasons at Washington High School as the junior varsity boys’ soccer coach and as an assistant on the varsity boys’ and girls’ squads.

He was leading last week’s PCA soccer camp held at the school. Boys of all ages took part in drills, instruction and lessons on how to play and be successful within the sport. It was a week’s worth of activities that proved beneficial to all involved.

“They’ve got good skills, so I don’t have to work that much with them because they know most of the rules, how to move the ball and everything else around the field,” Chavez said. “The new kids, I’m trying to make them be good players every practice, every day of the camp, because I’m going to coach them this fall. So I’ve got, I can say, I’ve got a pretty decent team for this year. So I think we’re going to be good.”

Success is something Chavez knows with the Raiders. He’s been playing soccer nearly his entire life, even professionally in Mexico. The sport has been a successful one at PCA, too.

The 2023 team went 11-5-1 overall, 3-1 in the TIC, and fell in the first round of the state playoffs. The season before that, the Raiders were 10-4-1 overall, 2-0 in the TIC and also fell in the opening round of the state playoffs. The year before that, the Raiders were 11-4 overall, 6-0 in the TIC and reached the third round of the postseason.

Last season’s team went 2-10 overall and 2-2 in the TIC. Luke Rouse was the only senior on last season’s roster, meaning a wealth of talent returns to the Raiders.

Chavez said having players with experience and who are active in the sport — such as playing Washington Optimist soccer — helps mold a team that can be successful quickly. Since PCA is a private school, coaches can work with the players without the restrictions that public schools face from the NC High School Athletic Association.

“I used to play in high school, play professional years ago,” Chavez said. “So I’m trying to teach them what I learned. So that’s pretty much what I love to do.

“Optimus, I’ve been teaching a lot of kids there and everything about how to move, control the ball, pass the ball, talk to each other. And this is what I like to see them doing what I’ve been teaching all around here.”

Brody Paul Jr. is a rising junior and a member of the Raiders. He said he saw the benefits of the camp and the wealth of instruction each player received.

“I’d say it’s a good introduction to shooting, dribbling, a little bit of passing,” Paul said. “It’s all the main things that you would need to know. It’s just a good way of doing it.

“What I’ve come to learn over the years that I’ve played under Coach Victor, I’ve learned that he likes to teach newer kids soccer. He would rather have a worse team so he can actually teach them versus having a team that already knows. I think it’s good that he’s also coaching the actual soccer team.”

Between now and the Aug. 19 season opener at home versus The Oakwood School, Chavez is hopeful the players can continue to learn, adjust to his style of play and find success on the field.

“I’m doing the soccer camp for a reason,” Chavez said. “I would like to work on every kid and teach every position on the field, like defense, midfield, strikers or goalie. So they can be ready for the season.

“That’s pretty much what I’m working on right now. I know these kids are going to be on the team this year. That’s my plan. That’s my challenge.”

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