Month: September 2025

Blogpost, self-reliance, SoccerLifeBalance

The Utility Man (We’ll Miss Him)

Pete Huryk

Today I received some sad news: a former player passed away. It’s always tough to hear when these things happen. As a coach and teacher, my hope has always been to help propel young people toward better lives. It hurts deeply when one of those lives is cut short.

This young man was what we often call a “utility player.” He wasn’t a regular starter. Most of the time he filled in at center back, but he was athletic enough to step into almost any position and hold his own. Soccer wasn’t even his first sport, yet he embraced his role and carried it with pride. He was the teammate every coach needs: willing, reliable, and unselfish.

His passing has me reflecting on the idea of utility. Not just in sports, but in life, especially for young men today. In many ways, being useful runs deep in the male identity. Yet in our current culture, it sometimes feels like that desire to be of service gets overlooked, or worse, dismissed. Between the labels of “toxic masculinity” and caricatures of outdated strength, many men are left wondering where they fit. Sweeping generalizations about half the population rarely capture the truth and often cause harm. I know plenty of men who simply want to contribute: to their families, their friends, the women in their lives, and society as a whole.

That’s why this loss hits hard. The “utility man” embodies something essential. For generations, men have stepped into roles of protection, labor, and sacrifice. Often trading their own well-being for the good of others. While the world has changed and those old trades may not be demanded in the same way, the core desire to be useful has not disappeared.

Men are useful. And most of them want to be useful (of utility). The utility man isn’t just a placeholder; he’s the glue that holds a team or a community, together. My hope is that more men are seen for the value they bring before they’re gone.

Today, I’ll remember not just the utility man on the pitch, but as a reminder of the dignity and worth in being willing to step in wherever needed. We will miss him.

Be useful today!

Pete

Blogpost, posh, SoccerLifeBalance

The Top 3 Opponents for POSH This Season

Pete Huryk

The season has not gone to plan. Results define clubs, managers, and players, and right now the results simply haven’t been good enough. Huddersfield come to town this Saturday, one of the so-called “big clubs” in League One. POSH have already fallen to Cardiff and Luton—teams tipped to be near the top of the table—and the margin for error is shrinking. But beyond the fixture list and all the hoopla about who’s a heavyweight this season, Peterborough have three opponents more dangerous than any other side they’ll face.

The first opponent: TIME

Time is undefeated. Once you fall behind it, there’s no catching up. Fixtures pile up, injuries take longer to heal, and before you know it the table has moved on without you. The best you can do is stay even with it—by using it wisely, refusing to waste it, and squeezing every ounce from the moments you have. POSH don’t need to panic, but they can’t afford to drift either.

The second opponent: BELIEF

Lately, belief has been in short supply. A couple of late concessions, a missed chance here, a poor call there, and suddenly doubt creeps in. Unlike time, belief can be rebuilt—but it requires intent. A big goal, a clean sheet, even a gritty draw can flip the script. The new signings may provide a spark, but belief has to run deeper than fresh faces. It has to settle into the squad and spread through the stands until both players and fans expect results rather than hope for them.

The final opponent: FOCUS

Focus should be the easiest win, but it’s the one most under attack. Missed referee calls, restless supporters, the lure of bigger contracts elsewhere, the endless chatter online—it’s all noise. Lose focus for five minutes and a match slips away. Win the moments, though, and the matches will take care of themselves. Success will come not from chasing the grand statement but from doing the smallest things well, over and over, until they add up.

As the season wears on, I still believe Darren Ferguson is the right man to guide this side. He’s faced these invisible opponents before and knows how to rally a squad when belief wavers. His track record at POSH—multiple promotions, a knack for rebuilding squads on the fly—proves he understands the climb. With time managed wisely, belief restored, and focus sharpened, I think it’s only a matter of time before things come good.

Up the POSH!

Pete