At the start of the last quarter, Clague’s women’s soccer team opened up for tryouts.
In this season, they have Coach Tom Oatley training the two teams, seventh and eighth-grade girls, and sixth-grade girls on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday after school. On the older team, they have 22 players, and on the younger team, they have four players. Some soccer players believe that this was a better option.
“Since there weren’t enough people for the younger team, they had to merge it with the older team. I think that might be better because now we can learn more valuable skills with the older team,” said sixth-grade soccer player, Leila Ekcard.
The seventh and eighth-grade women’s soccer team will face the Tappan Trojans in their upcoming game. The Cougars have trained hard in every practice, and they feel that their chances of winning are high.
“I feel pretty good, especially with who else is playing and who we’re playing,” eighth-grade soccer player Fathia Kasham said. “So I feel confident that we’ll win.”
At the beginning of their practice, they warm up with a series of dynamic and static stretches. Then they practice their dribbling and passing skills, which helps them get past opponents and connect with the team
“When we arrive in Huron, we start with dynamic and static stretches,” said seventh-grade soccer player Zoe Guy. “These stretches are important as a soccer player because they help me prevent injuries.”
Due to the construction of Logan, Clague’s soccer field has been repurposed. As a result, for every practice, the Cougars go on a bus that goes to the Huron soccer field.
“I think the Clague’s soccer field is better than the Huron soccer field because you don’t need to commute to a farther field and get to practice quicker,” said seventh-grade soccer player Annabelle Goebel. “Also, the field is of better quality with fewer bumps, as well as being more even.”
Additionally, the Clague Cougars won their match against the Scarlet Roadrunners at Bicentennial Park on Apr. 29.
“Winning against Scarlet felt good because it showed how much effort we put in,” said seventh-grade soccer player Melody Mei.
