Soccer is a fast paced, physically demanding, competitive sport.  Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, and there is a massive difference between watching soccer and playing soccer.  Grant Community High School plays in a 4-4-2 formation, which contains four defenders, four midfielders, two central strikers, and of course, a goalkeeper.  Two positions that are almost always involved in the game are the central midfielders and the goalkeeper.  The central midfielders job is to be involved in both the attack and the defense of the game, and the goalkeepers job is to protect the goal in any way he can.

Grant’s starting Varsity goalkeeper is senior Trevor Wentz.  Before the game, players often get nervous or get adrenaline rushes–but not Trevor.  He says that he “doesn’t get nervous before the games,” because he is always calm and collected because he is ready and “super excited to play.”  Since Trevor is near the goal, he can use his view of the field to his advantage.  He explained how much of an advantage it is, “I get to see [almost] all that happens.”  With that vision, he can help the rest of the players, even though “it can be frustrating at times” when he sees his teammates’ mistakes, he is always ready to communicate with them.  

Communication is one of the most important things in soccer.  Without it, players would have trouble knowing who to pass to, knowing when somebody is coming to steal the ball from them, and when to make certain runs.  Since Trevor can see almost everything on the field, he is one of the key players whose voice is necessary to the game. Although it can be hard to communicate to the whole field, Trevor has learned an easy way to communicate, “I just need to talk to the defense, which is easy throughout the game,”  then the defense can communicate up the field for him.  The goalkeepers have a unique view of the game which is much different from the other players.  Center midfielders, who are constantly moving and getting the ball at their feet, see the game in a different way.

One of Grant’s starting central midfielders is Sebastian “Seb” Gonzalez.  Seb is a sophomore who plays almost every minute of every game.  As a central midfielder, one of Sebs main responsibilities is to receive and redistribute the ball to players up the field.  He is part of nearly every attack, and every bit of defensive plays.  Seb says that with this responsibility, he usually gets “first second jitters,” because he is a part of the first kick of the game. “I think to myself that if I mess it up, my team might end up on a bad start,” Seb says when describing his initial nerves in the beginning of a game.  Since he is in a central position, he has the whole field around him. But as much as playing in the middle is physical, it is mental as well.  “Playing center midfield comes with a lot of awareness that I feel like a lot of other positions might not have.  You have the whole field around you and you have to choose the right way to move, pass the ball, or whatever the case might be.” Being involved in the majority of the game gets tiring constantly having the ball and playing defense.  Regardless of his anxious thoughts pre-game, Seb believes that the best part of the game is “hearing [the] final whistle after a physically enduring game and knowing that you played your heart out all for you to take it all and win… that’s the best feeling.”

Both Trevor and Seb have a similar narrative during a game, both emphasizing the importance of communication.  They both recognize how important communication is and how it is key for winning a game and keeping the team in a good state of mind.  Staying calm during a game and constantly talking to make sure your teammates stay involved is key to competing and winning games.