On April 13th, SHS’s boys soccer team beat their league rival, Exeter, with a final score of 3-1. Their team has a three-game winning streak with a current record of 3-2. They hope to continue their streak as the season progresses. 

Unfortunately, COVID-19 has had some negative effects on their season as it kept them from training together and maintaining their skills at the beginning of the year.

“The biggest challenge was getting back into soccer shape after being away for a long time due to COVID,” stated Coach Ruben Zamora. “Not being in shape has also led to lots of injuries in our team.” 

“[With] soccer being the sport I fell in love with as a kid, it just really sucked, especially it being my senior season,” shared Senior Jetzael Ordaz, a team captain.

Now that the team is practicing together again, they have to get back into a routine of preparation. The team has games almost every other day, so they implement recovery days to reset for the next game.

“Every game is different so we prepare them [the players] by working on our own weaknesses, aspects in which we need to improve on,” said Coach Ruben. “The main thing is mentality.”

With any sport, mentality is vital to the game and has to be exercised just like the physical aspect. 

“You always have to believe in yourself and trust in your teammates as well,” commented Senior Gerardo Soto.

The three team captains, Jetzael Ordaz, Gerardo Soto, and Giovanni Segovia all shared the same highlight, the new stadium. 

After two years of constant away games, playing in their hometown with supporting friends and family has given them more motivation and determination to win.

Along with the new stadium to drive the team, the captains have a responsibility to encourage their teammates. Leadership and communication are their main ways to help push the soccer team towards success. 

“If I see someone struggling, I give them the advice I can so they can improve on whatever they need help with,” stated Soto.

“As a captain, I like to lead by example, so I always get to practice early,” added Ordaz. “Most importantly, I communicate with each one of the players.”

They also shared that soccer is not an individual sport. In order to win, you have to play as one until the last whistle blows.

Soccer has not only taught its players about the game, but also valuable lessons in life.

“With hard work and confidence, you can achieve anything you want to achieve in life, and with talent, you can only go so far if you don’t put in the hard work,” expressed Segovia.