The tussle of plastic cleats hitting gritty turf becomes the wake-up call for soccer players. The sun rises, and with it, another season of soccer dawns on the horizon. Jerseys rustle as players embrace the physical contact, doing anything to claim the ball for their scrimmaging team and prepare themselves for another year of the strenuous sport.
The typical athlete may feel great exhaustion after a grueling early morning practice, and the daunting prospect of eight hours of school following their physical upheaval. However, for a captain – whose job consists of setting an excellent mental and physical example at all times – the task of overseeing practice is far more taxing, yet greatly rewarding all the same.
“As a captain, I try to make myself accessible to all grades, not just varsity, to ensure that everyone on JV feels welcome to be around me as well and cultivate a program that everyone feels welcome in,” senior captain Ella Shahinian said. “I just want to make it a play that everyone enjoys. That’s just my ultimate goal — to make it a place everyone wants to be every day.”
Girls soccer has three senior captains: Shahinian, Reagan McKinley, and Maddie Hodges. According to Hodges, one of their responsibilities includes “connecting the team and the coach.” These seniors’ duties include conveying head coach Caitlyn Sawyer’s messages to all athletes, attending weekly meetings with Sawyer, addressing any issues that come up, motivating teammates, and consistently demonstrating leadership.
“I’m honored that my team thinks I can be a captain, and that they trust me with that,” McKinley said. “It’s definitely a big role that takes a lot of responsibility. I try to remind the team of how good we are, that we know how to play soccer, and we know how to play together.”
The girls’ season began recently on Jan. 1 against Sachse in a tournament. They won their first district match last Tuesday, beating Stony Point 2-0. They face Vista Ridge next on Tuesday, Jan. 20. This team matches the girls’ overall record of 5-2.
“During games, if you watch our bench, we’re always cheering for each other,” Shahinian said. “Overall, we have a really supportive environment, and when we’re coming on and off the field, you can just feel that everyone on the team wants the best for one another. To encourage my teammates during practice, I’ll take people aside to talk to them one on one, because not everyone’s situation is the same, and you never really know what someone’s going through each day.”
Shahinian prepares for games by “envisioning the best possible outcome” with her friends, while Hodges describes her pregame routine as listening to music with friends and supporting the junior varsity members before the game.
“I truly enjoy being there for each person on the team,” Hodges said. “My favorite thing about being a part of soccer is definitely my friends. I’ve been friends with some of my teammates since elementary school, and the bond we have formed is one of the things I’ll cherish for the rest of my life. They make each early morning practice, hard workout, and tough moment work it.”
The boys team also opened their season with a tournament on Jan. 1. Senior captains Jack Garner and Grant Teodecki help plan practices, give feedback to athletes, analyze film, and ensure their teammates fulfill their roles.
“When I’m playing on the field, I feel like [my role] is to make sure everyone’s cooperating and on the same page, but also staying motivated, and working hard,” Teodecki said. “Those are probably the three most important things. I use lots of verbal reiteration to motivate them, like constant communication, such as telling them ‘hey, good job,’ if they did well. Also telling them to ‘look out for this,’ or ‘we need to work on that.’ A lot of it is leading by example, and making sure I’m embodying those principles, as well as servant leadership and putting other guys first.”
Boys varsity currently sits second in districts, with a record so far this season of 4-1-2, meaning they achieved four wins, one loss, and two ties. Garner relays the team’s goal of obtaining a district win, since they achieved second last year, despite persisting to win states.
“We’ve had some ups and downs already, but I feel like we can win districts,” Garner said. “I’m pretty confident about that. We have tougher games this week, but I’m excited. We got through our ‘downs’ by watching film and fixing our mistakes. Our team’s chemistry is pretty good. We’ve all played together since middle school, so everyone likes one another.”
Both teams made a run in playoffs last year, with the boys becoming state champions and the girls making it to semifinals. All of the captains spur their teams onto success and inspire them in their individual ways, whether it’s McKinley raising the energy vocally, or Teodecki directing his teammates during practices or games. For Shahinian, the best part of the program is the community.
“It’s just great to be able to have a group I can fit in with every day,” Shahinian said. “In high school, everyone has all these things going on, but I just feel lucky to be able to have a program that I can come to every day. It’s just a very receptive environment. I know that I’m always welcome with these people, and I’ll always welcome them. I just know that whatever kind of day I’m having, I’m still going to be able to laugh and joke with my friends.”
