A Sunny Start To Girls’ Soccer

24 March 2022Neve M, Hope ‘23

Third term is approaching rapidly. Birds have started cheerfully chirping all around campus and the sun has come out to supply some warmth to the frozen earth. Pollen will not be the only thing flying through the air this spring, as it will be accompanied by an abundance of soccer balls. That’s right … girls’ soccer has started.

Tryouts ran the last week of second term, and came to an end on Friday, March 11th. The soccer pitch was densely populated, with near forty girls participating in practices. Soon, the group will be split into two teams, a senior and a junior team. There will be plenty of players participating in the junior team, while the senior team will consist of roughly twenty players, handpicked by the coaches.

This soccer season will be jam-packed with tournaments and games: “I’m really excited for this season. Seeing as all games were canceled the last two seasons, this is kind of the big restart to all the excitement. I really miss the anticipation and nervousness of playing in tournaments and against other schools. It should be a great season” declared Ella S, Alex ‘23.

The girls will be coached by Mr Barrett & Ms Fougner running the senior team with Mr Millar & Mr Collis Handford the juniors. There will be no lack of leadership, as many supporting coaches also join the teams regularly. “The coaching team for girls’ soccer is truly the dream team. We would be nowhere without them” stated Serena H, Allard ‘24.

Even though this soccer season will be filled with bright smiles and countless triumphs, there will always be challenges behind the scenes. Playing soccer is one thing, but producing better people is another. "I would say one of my biggest challenges is balancing development and results. The point of sports games is to try and win the game, however, you are also trying to ensure that players develop both as decision-makers and as resilient humans and ensuring that a long-term approach is at the forefront of what you do. Getting the balance of all of these things can be a difficult task" explained Mr Barrett.

There will be many chances for Brentwood to show their support for both teams. The soccer season will bring tremendous excitement, energy, and pep all around campus. The girls will only rest when the last exam is written and summer has truly commenced. Until then, the campus will be alight with support for these amazing players.

As the flowers spring forth and the sun begins to shine more regularly, all eyes will turn to the soccer pitch where the players will be dazzling in the sunlight. In no time, the teams will play their first games, and their race to provincials will commence.

Neve M, Hope ‘23

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