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A lesson in good sportsmanship lights up the soccer field in Yarmouth

A wheelchair-bound Yarmouth soccer player scored an unorthodox goal all while being cheered by his competitors

YARMOUTH (NEWS CENTER Maine) — Fall nights in Maine for so many communities are spent on the sidelines of various sports games; some good, some great, most forgettable.

But for the players of the Yarmouth and Lake Region boys high school soccer teams, and the fans that got to watch them, Thursday night’s game will be etched in their minds forever.

The Lake Region High School team set out to play Yarmouth Thursday night and give it their all despite their underdog status. On the way to the game, Coach Harlow explained that Yarmouth had a player in a wheelchair who wanted to have a chance to play.

According to Lake Region’s Athletic Director Paul True, the players were excited to have Jared Conant maneuver his wheelchair onto the field. The plan was to have Jared come out to play after halftime, kick off the second half and complete a throw-in.

A player at Lake Region thought the plan was fine but had a way to improve it when he suggested letting Jared feel the exhilaration of scoring a goal.

In the second half, Jared took to the field with his wheelchair while another player pushed him so he could keep up. The crowd erupted when he launched the soccer ball over the turf into the goal as the Lake Region goalie made sure to stay out of his way, even assisting in the goal.

Every player on the field, regardless of their jersey's color, rushed Jared to congratulate him as fans broke into a song, “Jared, we love ya!”

Paul True says he is enormously proud of his players.

“I hope it is a lesson for anyone who sees it that sometimes we place too much importance on the winning and losing of high school sports. This highlighted good sportsmanship and extending a hand and will be a fantastic memory,” True told NEWS CENTER Maine.

Katherine Vincent captured the video of the game as she watched her son play.

"The sportsmanship that these kids have is amazing. They had no care in the world to win the game. They just wanted to give [Jared] an opportunity to score the goal.”

The scoreboard said Lake Region lost to Yarmouth 8-1 Thursday night, but all the players went home winners.

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