One of the most important character traits one can possess is perseverance. Getting up, dusting yourself off, and doing it again. No one shows greater grit, tenacity, and perseverance than our Middle School Girls Soccer Team.
The team’s resilient culture was first revealed at tryouts. Many girls were stoked for the chance to compete on the soccer team, but only a select few made it through the multiple rounds of tryouts. Coach Martinez told each student exactly what they succeeded in and what they needed practice with.
One such example was the beep test; the beep test measures a person’s speed. A beep sounds, signaling a start, and then another two beeps at the end, a warning and a stop. As athletes continue, the beeps become closer and closer together.
Throughout the girl’s time on the team, they have all improved their scores by substantial margins. They have scored many incredible goals and built up their defense. In one of their last games, Cata, 7th grade, scored three goals! Many of their teammates have never played soccer before and are quickly picking up on the tactics. Their captain is Chloe Benichou, 8th grade, a prodigy who keeps all of her teammates motivated and in tip-top shape.
Coach Martinez believes that team bonding is “crucial for success on and off the field.” With such a short season, there isn’t much time to build strong team bonds. When Coach Martinez played soccer, these bonding times would look like long hours on flights or in vans. To mimic this, last year, he developed an idea called “soccer lunch.” This is a team bonding activity twice a week during lunch. In an interview, Coach mentioned that, “All of this goes beyond football (soccer); it is about developing manners and building lasting bonds. The girls must wait for everyone to get food to eat, sit together, and stay seated until everyone is finished.
In addition to lunch together and after-school practices, they dedicate their Sunday mornings to practice and improvement. Coach Martinez feels that one of the most unique qualities of this team is that despite how hard of a coach he is, they push through and improve.
All of their practice has visible results because in their final game the girls were able to secure a win. Beating the Jewish Academy four to three, the girls were thrilled. The owner of the girls commented, “It felt good that all of the hard work paid off, and it just was good to win.” Never wanting to disappoint themselves or their coach, the girls try their best, work their hardest, and never give up. Go Jaguars!
