With tryouts for the new season now behind them, both the girls varsity and junior varsity (JV) soccer teams are ready for the exciting and competitive season ahead.
Last year the girls varsity team had a total of 11 wins, 7 losses and 2 draws. The JV team had 1 win, 10 losses and 1 draw. In their practices, both teams train to enhance their skills and the strategies specific to their teams to perform better in this season. Hernan Cuevas, coach of the JV girls team, shed light on how tryouts went for both girls teams.
“We had really good numbers this year,” Cuevas said. “In the past, we didn’t have many girls come out.”
Cuevas stated that accompanying the large number of girls trying out, there was a lot of potential.
“This year we had a lot of talent so I think we’re gonna have a lot of depth this year,” Cuevas said.
Freshman and JV member of girls soccer, Charlotte Teague, stated what she thought was important for a soccer player to display during tryouts as well as throughout the season.
“How you work with teammates and how you play is most important,” Teague said.
Cuevas added to what coaches specifically look for in soccer players.
“Communicating, having a good touch on the ball, high soccer IQ, and just overall being a good teammate,” Cuevas said.
Teague stated what she thinks builds the community of the new JV team.
“You build a community through moving together up to varsity and trying to get better as a team,” Teague said.
Although the varsity and JV teams have similar communities, they have their differences.
“My sister used to play goalie [on varsity],” Teague said. “She was always really loud, all of varsity is pretty enthusiastic.”
Cuevas added more to the atmospheric differences between JV and varsity.
“The JV girls tend to joke around a little bit more, they don’t take it as seriously,” Cuevas said. “Once they get to varsity level, it kind of hits them how serious it is, I think the Varsity coach expects a little bit more out of them.”
Not only is the level of intensity different between the teams, but there are also strategic differences according to Cuevas.
“I think we tend to play a little bit more defensive and then more in the mid field, while varsity plays a little bit more offensive,” Cuevas said. “In the past they’ve played like a 433, so they have three in the middle and then kind of three on the top, which works for them.”
Cuevas expanded on why these strategic differences work well for each team.
“I think just because there’s kind of a gap in talent from JV and varsity that we need to play a little bit more in the midfield,” Cuevas said. “Just because JV tends not to drop as much or kind of know where to be.”
JV team members train to bridge these differences to eventually make it to varsity.
“A lot of it is attitude and effort,” said Cuevas.
