With winter break looming, girls varsity soccer prepare to stay in shape

By Ty Potts

With the girls’ soccer season in full swing, the ladies look to stay sharp with the extended leave from their season known as winter break.

The varsity lady Rangers are off to one hot start to begin the season, starting 4-0 against some strong opponents. The girls have technically lost two games to penalty kicks during tournament play at the Harold S. Young tournament.

However, these losses do not count against the overall record of the girls, but only served to determine who advanced further in the tournament.

With the immense momentum following the girls, could this extended break from soccer be detrimental to team success?

Forward Paityn Bruce, ‘24 said, “Over the break, we are going to practice as a team… and do our best to stay in shape on our own. Most of us are going to continue running and working on our footwork and other skills so we can pick up right where we left off.”

Goalie Olivia Saenz, ‘23 had similar ideas to Bruce such as, “We will practice as a team to keep our teamwork skills on point… most of us will be running and working out over break to stay in shape for the season ahead.”

With Saenz being a goalie, her training is a bit more unique as she has to get reps both kicking and passing the ball but also blocking and defending the goal.

Throughout the season, the girls have come together as a team to participate in stretching such as yoga to stay limber and limit injuries throughout the season.

Soccer can be very taxing on an athlete’s body, and stretching is just one way to limit the injuries that can be caused from such a physical sport.

Other habits such as drinking plenty of water and putting the right fuel in your body can have tremendous impacts on performance on the field.

The girls make sure to stay hydrated and eat healthy and balanced meals during their season to keep their performance at their peak. Every game day, the girls can be seen eating together as a team before they step on the pitch, so be sure to keep an eye out for them.

Over the break, the girls plan to stay in shape and continue their already built-in habits that keep them on the field and out of the trainer’s room.