Varsity boys’ soccer heads into the new season
After months off the field, many of the players on the boys’ varsity soccer team have been waiting patiently to play again. The team kicked off their new season this month.
Adam Olson, senior, has been on the varsity team for two years. Around the time his club season ends, Olson immediately starts training for the school team, never slowing his pace. “[We have] practice every day from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and we do a lot of running. Eric, the coach, definitely likes for us to be in shape. We just do some passing drills and he just likes to keep it fun,” Olson said. “We just started pre-season, and we took three to one against Taft and it is one and one in the season [as of December 1].”
For many athletes like Lucas Perez, junior, joining a high school sports team is about the people and the environment. “My favorite part is definitely playing with my friends from school. It’s such a different environment because usually in club [soccer] you play with people from other schools and you don’t have that same bond that you have with your school friends,” Perez said.
Bohdie Ing, freshman, is one of only two freshmen that made the varsity team this year and echoes much of Perez’s thoughts on the team culture. “I met most of these kids this year and I’ve already [gotten] along with pretty much all of them and I joke around and have a good time every single practice and game,” Ing said. “They’re like role models to me for my next few years so that I can become a better leader.”
Even though the season has just started, team members have been challenged by other varsity players. “Since I’m a junior, there’s kids that are bigger than me when I go against other teams, like other seniors from other schools are really big and fast…so matching their athleticism is probably the hardest part [about playing on varsity],” Perez said.
Although intimidating at first, facing other schools will be a new and fun challenge for many of the newer team members, including Ing. “I feel like I am around the same level as other players and some are even better than me, but I feel like they will make me better and I can make them better,” Ing said.
No matter what challenges they face in their upcoming season, the boys are looking forward to a fun time and creating camaraderie with new teammates. “[It’s] cool to be with guys that you talk to outside of just soccer because in club [soccer] we strictly know each other for soccer and don’t really do much outside of soccer,” Olson said. “With the high school team, it’s more like a friendship and a team.”
