By Valenica Campbell, staff writer
Varsity Girl’s soccer season is finally upon us. All of the girls put in a lot hard work and commitment, and some of the girls even did some preseason training to get ready for the season.
“During the high school off-season, many of us play club soccer for Kenosha Crew, the team attends multiple open gyms for the upcoming season, and we also play on an indoor soccer league at the Boys and Girls Club to make sure our touches on the ball are clean and that we are in shape for the high school season,” said Sara Klimisch, an Indian Trail senior.
Players on the team expressed why they enjoy playing soccer.
“I really enjoy how big of a stress-reliever soccer is and the bond that is created with the team. We are like a big family,” said Klimisch.
“Once you can truly understand the game, it becomes more than just a game,” said Elisa Espino- Murguia, an Indian Trail senior.
A lot of athletes have a certain person who they look up to and inspires them. It helps them to want to become better players.
“Neymar Jr. inspired me because he made his dreams come true, even coming from a small town in Brazil and he did that with soccer,” said Murguia-Espino. Certain games more than others get players anxious to play.
“Tremper, because they are one of our biggest and toughest competitors in the SEC Conference. As a team, we look forward to them every year,” said Klimisch.
“I believe a true player looks forward to every game, because it is always important to come out on top, taking it one game at a time. The most exciting games though are cross-town rivalries,” said Murguia-Espino.
Before the games, each of the players has a certain routine for themselves to get them in game mode.
“To prepare for a game, I do a variety of pre-game rituals including eating an apple and banana and listening to certain songs to get pumped up for the game. As a team, we usually have pasta parties the day before a big game, stretch, talk about what we need to get done, and do warm-up drills so that we are in the appropriate mindset,” said Klimisch.
“ I get a good meal before the game and make sure I drink plenty of water throughout game day. The day before is good to cram on pasta for carbs and energy,” said Murguia-Espino.
In the beginning of the season the team might face some challenges that they need to work through together.
“This season, we feel that a big challenge will be to defend our 2015 SEC Conference Title. We are in one of the toughest conferences in the state and we go up against some very talented teams that test our abilities and push us to work harder than ever before,” said Klimisch.
“Definitely proving that we are a team that is going to be conference champions, and proving that we are a threat,” she said.