The girls soccer team has a total of 23 female student-athletes. The past few games have not been very successful, but the team hopes to improve.

The student-athletes have been putting in the work at practice and improving from this season’s starting point. They try to maximize their skills according to their positions.

“I hope to increase my speed and the way in which I kick the ball,” freshman Jasmine Buenaventura said. “There’s a certain amount of force needed to kick the ball and make goals. I play striker, so you do need to be pretty quick. For me to actually get playing time, I’d have to improve that and conditioning as well.”

The results of each game are another reason to keep working. Therefore, the girls keep practicing to win more games.

“We have lost most of our games,” freshman Fabiana Lopez said. “I plan to improve more on my shooting. I have already enhanced my speed and footwork since the coaches push me to be even better.”

For some athletes, the reason they started playing could be their inner circle.

“What got me interested was my family,” Buenaventura said. “It was definitely them. I don’t think there is any other way I would’ve gotten into soccer. If it weren’t for them encouraging me to join this year, I probably wouldn’t have done it and just stuck to clubs.”

Unlike the kids playing on the soccer team for the first time, some have been playing for almost half their lives.

“I have been playing soccer since I was six or five years old,” freshman Yareli Hernandez said. “I almost gave up soccer, but my mom encouraged me to keep going since it would be wasted talent. I am happy I trusted her and did what she said.”

Some players have quit, and some play other sports, but players take soccer seriously and take time out of their day to get better.

“Other sports I play are track and swimming,” Lopez said. “But, I actually do plan to keep focusing on soccer and playing for a college, which would be my dream. I practice out of school four times a week for an hour and a half.”