Amidst a new school year in person after a year and a half of COVID-19 and distance learning, the Minarets soccer program is looking forward to the new season.
Last year, distance learning and COVID-19 restrictions presented a myriad of challenges and setbacks. Towards the end of the school year, as with many other sports at Minarets, soccer was pushed out of the regular season and there was wide uncertainty of what it would look like with the possibility of additional restrictions or being shut down again.
Boys soccer coach and English teacher Michael Vaughan explains, “[last year] we did not have as many players as normal, so we had to only have one team. This meant that some players did not get to play as much as they would have if we had two teams.”
This year, the Minarets soccer program is excited to have a season with more normalcy.
“[This year] we should have a successful year,” says Vaughan. “We have a group of dedicated and experienced players. We are looking to win a D6 championship. Tryouts will be focused on cardio and attitude. They will push players to compete for positions and minutes. Players can expect to make new friends, get in better shape, and be part of a winning team.”
Girls soccer coach Mary Pearson explains her expectations for the coming season.
“[Tryouts will be] just about as rigorous as you would expect; a lot of footwork, a lot of challenges, and competition to try to bring out the best in each other. [Potential players] can expect a group of girls that are committed to playing, committed to improving each other and making each other better. They can come into an area that is safe in the sense that they can be themselves, they can push each other, they can be at their worst and they’ll still be encouraged. They can challenge themselves and challenge their teammates to be better and we’ll have fun while we’re doing it.”
Girls soccer tryouts started Tuesday, Oct. 26 and will last the whole week from 4:00 p.m.- 6:00 p.m. The boys and girls soccer teams will be working hard to prepare and are looking forward to the season ahead.