By BRIAN TORTELLA
Correspondent
@tortreports on Instagram
Mark Derets will never forget the gloomy morning of Feb. 24, 2022.
“The war has started,” his mother said as she awoke the 13-year-old from his sleep. “We can hear explosions. We need to pack quickly.”
From that moment on, his life changed forever.
Derets, his mother, and other family members instantly packed their belongings to leave their home country of Ukraine and head for a train west to Poland.
“She told me to pack up my stuff, and I heard a big explosion,” Derets, a native of Dnipro, explained. “You could see fire, gas and smoke coming out. It was really scary. I was a young 13-year-old kid seeing this. You see it in video games, but never real life. It was really bad.
“My dad sent my mom and me to Western Ukraine. We went to the train station and thousands of people were fighting to get spots. Somehow my family and I managed to get inside. When we arrived in Western Ukraine there were a lot of people there. It was really scary.”
Once Derets and his family were able to make it to Poland, they flew to the United States to seek refuge. His aunt and cousins reside in Haddonfield, and Derets and his family settled there at the end of his seventh-grade year.
Just like that, his life was flipped upside down. A culture shock and a whirlwind of emotions flooded Derets as he walked into a completely different world.
New country. New friends. New home.
And on top of that he did not speak English clearly at the time of his arrival.
“It was hard being in school at first because I didn’t know how to speak English,” Derets said. “When I first arrived, the community of Haddonfield was so nice to me. Especially the teachers. The principal became one of the first people in the United States to help me get through. My English teacher helped me get a lot of work done. My cousin helped me a lot and was translating for me.”
A common denominator for Derets throughout the difficult transition period, however, was the sport he has always loved — soccer.
Even when he had to quickly pack his essential items on that horrifying morning, he made sure to grab his soccer jerseys. He started playing at a very young age, and the sport has always been with him — through good and bad times.
“I joined soccer clubs in Haddonfield, and the community was really nice. I’m so thankful that they are always supportive no matter what,” Derets said. “When I finished eighth grade and went into my freshman year, it was tough. It was a brand new start from eighth grade because high school was so different. I signed up for soccer and met coach (Ryan) Nixon. I was supported by coaches and players.”
Derets became an immediate contributor for one of the top teams in the region, scoring three goals in his rookie campaign in 2023.
The 5-foot-9 versatile forward had his best season yet as a junior last year, tying for the team lead with five goals for the Bulldawgs as they reached the South Jersey Group 2 final, falling 2-0 to Seneca. In the quarterfinal round against Colonial Conference rival Sterling, Derets scored the game-winning goal in overtime to power Haddonfield to the narrow 1-0 triumph.
“Mark came to us when he was in middle school, basically as a result of the growing conflict in Ukraine at that time,” said Nixon, Haddonfield’s head coach. “He’s somebody that as a freshman made a pretty big impact as soon as he came into our program, and one of those rare guys who has been on varsity all four years. He’s motivated and intense, and one of those players who goes really hard on every play.”
Nixon has been able to have a front-row seat to Derets’ development the last four years. The coach said he’s grown into a versatile utility weapon who can truly play on all parts of the field.
“Last season, I thought he started to grow and come into his own,” Nixon explained. “Mark fills a lot of different roles as a true utility player. He’s such a Swiss Army knife on the field that no matter where we put him, he can help the team in many different roles.
“The community has really embraced Mark and his family,” Nixon continued. “It’s such a cool thing, and soccer has been one of the centerpieces in that transition for him. For us to provide the soccer piece for him, it has helped his situation. I feel proud of our program for providing that for him.”
Now, four years later, Derets said he is excited to start his senior season with the Bulldawgs. He still keeps in touch on a daily basis with his father and older brother, who both had to stay in Ukraine to assist with the ongoing crisis. According to Derets, his dad often still gives him some soccer tips.
Haddonfield will open its season on Thursday, Sept. 3, against divisional rival Haddon Township.
“I’m eagerly awaiting the new soccer season,” Derets said. “But I’ve realized that the season doesn’t begin with the opening whistle. For me, it starts every day as I work on myself getting stronger, sharper and faster; raising the bar. I don’t want to step onto the field merely ready to play. I want to step out there having become better than I was yesterday. After all, real results are built long before the first game. I’m looking forward to the season — but I’m already working for it.”
