As I sat on the bus on the way to the state soccer championship, I thought about how much I had changed since my freshman year. Originally captain of the junior varsity soccer team, I am now one of the starting players for the varsity team. I remember going to the first high school tryout for soccer. I was afraid and intimidated by all the girls and especially the coach. Everyone told me that I would make the varsity team without a problem. Then that day came when we would find out who was on varsity. I was so nervous that the palms of my hands were sweating and my legs were shaking. Having played club soccer for over eight years, I really wanted to make the varsity team my freshman year. As I looked at the list, I couldn’t find my name anywhere until it appeared on the JV team. I was so upset at myself and at the coach that I thought about not playing soccer for the school at all.

I was thinking how embarrassing and pointless it was going to be playing on the JV team. That was until I made captain, I met the coach, and after we won all of our games. I also was asked to move up to help the varsity team during the middle of the year. To my surprise JV turned out to be okay. Next year, though, I was determined to make varsity and thought I was going to since I moved up during the middle of the year when I was a freshman. Once again however, the varsity coach failed to choose me for the team. At this time I was upset and angry with the coach and myself. I didn’t understand what I had done wrong. When I talked with the coach, he told me I didn’t show enough effort in tryouts and he thought I would make a good role model for the JC girls. At this point, I hated the coach. I thought he was a rude person who cared nothing about people’s feelings, and only about winning. Days went by until our first practice. When I arrived I learned that the coach moved a few girls down to JV and one girl up to varsity. Guess what?? That girl was me! I was so excited, but I still hated the coach for putting me through all of that stress. To my surprise I also started some games. Towards the end of the session, I considered quitting the team. Playing on varsity was just not fun. The coach made me feel like I was in a boot camp. He didn’t care if we were hurt or sick; he just wanted us to practice, practice and practice. He was all about winning and being the best team in the state. He pushed us so hard until we were at the point of throwing up. The coach didn’t make soccer fun; he made it more like it was a job.

Junior year came fast and I decided to tryout and this time I made the varsity team. The whole team connected and not one person was left out. This year we worked hard but had fun at the same time. The coach was still the same, but I finally realized why he was so hard on us. He wanted us to be champions, and the only way to succeed and earn the name of champion is by working hard. If our coach didn’t push us until we dropped, didn’t have practice every day, and didn’t push us to be the best, then we wouldn’t be on a bus ride home from the state championship this very night. He taught me that you have to work to be a champion and that is what this team did together.

Sara Jane

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Ian's Evaluation