This 2025 season, the girls soccer team has not only improved their performance going from 2-13-2 to 7-10-1, but also redefined what it means to be a team. Bonding between the team is ensured throughout the season by having team dinners at least once a week. To make these dinners possible the girl’s parents step up and chip in.
“All of us girls really enjoy the team dinners because it allows us to get to know each other better,” goalie Taylor Helmuth said.
If there are moments the coaches think the team could bond a little more they set up little activities, such as relay races.
“We like doing relay races because they get everyone included,” coach Alexciana Betancourt said.
Although many of the girls on the team started this season without any previous experience with the sport, and the two soccer coaches Lindsey Rost and Betancourt are fairly new to the coaching department, they promise to all be there for one another.
“Each and every one of us continue to show up to games and practices with the willingness to learn and support each other. To play together, even through injury and soreness,” Betancourt said.
The attitudes of each individual goes a long way in sports, therefore, having a team full of support and dedication is most important to Betancourt.
“I am a firm believer that the coach’s attitude drives the players, either positively or negatively. If I notice that vibes are down during a practice or a game, I’ll try to make light of the situation and goof around a little bit to try to get the attitudes back up,” Betancourt said. “If a player is already getting yelled at or annoyed during a game, she isn’t going to want to hear any more negativity.”
There is no doubt that soccer is just as much of a mental as it is a physical sport. The girl’s soccer coaches aren’t only here to play and win a game of soccer, but also to assure their girls are enjoying themselves and learning valuable real life lessons.
As for one of the team captains, Helmuth, she values communication skills most to lead the team on and off the field. Keeping everybody on the same page and discussing important issues together is her top priority. When going through losses she thinks the most efficient way to get over it and not lose motivation is to just have short term memory about it all, and that overall it’s better to focus on the next thing, not the last.
“I think it’s best to just try and get all the girls to move on from it as quickly as possible,” Helmuth said.
While players are on the field and coaches on the sidelines, sophomore team manager Tucker Bissett is running behind the scenes to make sure the team is operating smoothly. He plays a quiet but essential role in the team, whether it’s organizing equipment, or cheering the girls on from the sidelines, he is always there to lend an extra hand.
“I help set up drills and always help out by grabbing the ball bags and pennies when we are traveling,” Bissett said. He is also at every practice with the girls providing as much support as he can.
An insight into their practices starts off with the coaches giving any important announcements, after that’s taken care off the girls get straight into warmups. Some common warmups they do are stretches and jogging. With a team made of young athletes, it’s common for them to sometimes drift off track during practice, as Helmuth noted that they do, but they still always get plenty done.
“We do a lot of conditioning stuff like going on runs, and we scrimmage with each other a lot,” Helmuth said.
While coaches prioritize making a fun environment for their players, they also want to take away something significant from practices, not just giggles. Almost all practices are planned based on issues that players need to work on during games.
“Improvements we can work on for games are shooting, passing, and formations at different angles,” Betancourt said.
Overall the girls soccer team has been having a victorious season not only because they are better on the field and make more goals, but also because they are closer as a team, like a family as Helmuth described.
“I’m so impressed with these girls and their want and acceptance to learn, and having a better record than last year is always a plus,” Betancourt said.
Whether the team ends in a winning record or not, they are happier to have achieved something greater; each other’s respect.
