The girls’ soccer team is undergoing significant changes for the upcoming season. Last season, they had a rough time, not winning many games, so now, the players are excited for the new changes and a better chance for success this year.
With the search for a new head coach, the players are waiting for answers. The seniors have played with the same coach their entire high school career, so this will be a bittersweet change for them.
“I am looking forward to this new opportunity,” senior Jaeann James said.
Getting a new coach comes with good and bad changes. Players will learn new skills and team unity, but adapting to the new environment can bring players hardships. Most players seem very excited to get a new head coach this season, after a rough year last year.
“I am very happy [to get a new coach] because we can have something different,” senior Xaydi Valdivia said. “I know it’s my senior year too, so I’m going to be a little sad, but I just like something different.”
After a record of 4-12-1 last season, the girls are confident in their comeback this year and hope the new coach can lead them to more wins as well as build a new culture. The team lost a talented group of seniors, but this year’s group is promising for Railer soccer. A couple of players felt that they hadn’t worked hard enough because some didn’t take the game seriously and push each other as teammates.
“I hope he makes us girls work way harder, because I feel like we don’t have a very good work ethic, and I think that’ll get better,” sophomore Madyson Gomez said.
One thing that leads a team to success is hard work and consistency. When a new coach arrives, it often means a fresh start, new ideas, and an opportunity for players to improve both on and off the field, showcasing their potential.
“[My goals are] probably just getting better, athletic-wise, and just getting faster and stronger,” Gomez said.
The team has faced hardship. When a team doesn’t win a lot of games, it brings frustration and anger to players, and sometimes it causes them to come off as mean when they really just want the team to succeed and get along with each other.
“My expectations [for a new coach] are not going to be based on wins and losses, athletic director Brian Becker says. “It’s going to be based on having more girls get involved and having a good experience.”
The main thing Becker looks for in a coach is someone dependable and someone who can make the girls have fun while also getting work done. He wants them to get better and develop skills and fundamentals.
“As long as they are [having fun while getting better, those are the expectations we want to see,” Becker says.
While the hunt is still on for a new coach, and hopefully Becker will get to interview people soon, this year, the team is hoping for a drama-free season. The goals they have are to improve as players and build a strong team and foundation as a whole. Winning games is always an amazing goal, but some girls just want the team to work harder together.
“I just want to win a game,” Bach said.
