Kicking Up Sand
Boys soccer plays volleyball during practice to improve their communication on the field
Junior Adam Donnell prepares to take a throw in at the FHC vs. Vianney game. Donnell is one of two players on the team that has a long throw which is an advantage to the team.
The breeze picked up slowly, finally making the day feel like a fall day, and that afternoon’s practice a little more enjoyable. It blew lightly across the sand of the Legacy Park volleyball courts; untouched and undisturbed, until a band of boys wearing a crest over their heart jogged into the park.
After breaking even in the CYC tournament with a record of 1-1-1, instead of doing the expected grueling practice on the back field to whip the team into shape, the boys varsity soccer team decided to take their training off campus. Taking a long jog down to Legacy Park to get some fitness in, the team carried nothing with them except for one ball; a volleyball. “Volleyball is a great sport where everyone has to be a team and has to talk to communicate to keep the ball up. And I mean, that type of bonding that we have to have in order to have that type of chemistry is what we need to bring on to the soccer field.” — Carl Swanson
Going into the tournament, junior Adam Donnell felt the team was prepared and after beating Oakville 5-1 the feelings only grew strongers.
“We were excited and we felt ready and then we played Vianney. It was a hard competition and tied 1-1,” Donnell said.
Senior Carl Swanson agrees saying that the team gave it their all in the game against Vianney, but came up short against Webster Groves.
“That third game, it was just a different team overall. They were way more aggressive; super, super fast on their playing. And it took us a while to finally get into that type of style,” Swanson explained.
The Spartans fell to Webster Groves 3-2 with a goal from senior Connor Schmitz to get some more points on the board for the team. The team has been working a lot on ramping up their communication and Schmitz believes that it is starting to work.
“I think like this week because of the tournament, we’re getting better with communication and our team skills,” Schmitz said. “[We’re still missing] just like connecting our passes really, in the final third.”
The typical practice the day after a loss most would expect a practice full of running, hard drills, and sore bodies. However, instead of playing with a soccer ball the team chose a volleyball. In hopes of building up their communication to help improve their season, the team decided a change of pace was necessary.
“Volleyball is a great sport where everyone has to be a team and has to talk to communicate to keep the ball up,” Swanson said. “And I mean, that type of bonding that we have to have in order to have that type of chemistry is what we need to bring on to the soccer field.”
The team is hoping to take this lighthearted, but meaningful practice and transition it into finishing out the rest of season on a better note than they have started.
“I feel like with league play, like before districts, we will step up our game and actually play as a team,” Donnell said.
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