By Sarah Buchert

As the winter weather comes to a close, so too has the woman’s soccer season. This year the team has done better; teams that they had lost to in previous years, they pulled even with this season.

Although they did not win every game, the team performed better than they did two years ago. With many new players this year, most never having played soccer before, it is challenging to train and get the new players into shape.

“It is always hard when they do not understand terminology or the rules, but it makes it fun as well,” said Coach Sale when asked about challenges the team was facing this year. The team this year is “an amazing group of young woman” who have “done great together even in our lack of wins,” says Coach Sale.

Soccer helps the players learn to work together and help each other out. The seniors have really stepped up to help the underclassman. Senior Tori Robinette took Jessie Owen under her wing and helped her. Before, Jesse did not know if she even wanted to play soccer but senior Tori helped her have a great freshman year.

Rachel Matsumoto has worked hand-in-hand with Mary O’Melia to help her develop and teach her. “It has been an amazing thing to watch,” commented Coach Sale.

Coach Sale has a very straightforward philosophy on soccer: “100 percent effort, 100 percent of the time. In anything you do, if you give it, you will receive it back; if you do not, do not expect it to be returned. Effort is the key to success in sports and life. No one who has ever been successful has only given 10 percent.”

To help the soccer players manage school while simultaneously playing a sport, the team had every Wednesday off to recover and get caught up with things. The soccer schedule alternated every week, switching from starting at 4 p.m. one week to starting at 6 p.m. the next, allowing the students to go to tutoring or do any other activities scheduled after school.