“This soccer season meant a lot to me because I wanted to go out with a bang, and that’s what we did.
I love all my teammates. We’ve struggled with toxic environments in the past, but this year was a very healthy environment. I’ve definitely gotten a lot closer with the team. We’d always joke around, but we could lock in when we needed to.
We had the talent to make it far, and it’s really just about mentality. We practiced hard, trained hard and played games as if we did not want to lose. In Districts, we showed that. We ended up winning, and even in the playoffs, we made a really good run. We won the first two games, and then we lost in overtime in the last game. It was the first time since 1998 that we’ve made it to the third round.
The game was tied 4-4. We scored in the last 10 minutes, but the referee called it a foul. There was no foul. After watching the replay, it wasn’t close to being a foul. [Senior] Josh [Mathiesen] got to the ball first, and then the opposing goalkeeper ran into him. However, the referee said Josh ran into the keeper. To make such a decisive call and get it wrong to make us lose such a big game really hurts.
The loss was hard for a lot of us. It wasn’t the fact that we lost, it was the fact that it was out of our power. It was really hard to have to stop playing earlier than we expected. I was sad for a while, because I have a lot of passion for the Bellaire team. It’s my school, and I’m proud to represent it. But now, I’m happy because I can look back and be like, ‘Wow, we made it this far. We did that.’
This year, we had five goalkeepers. Hayden [Tucker] and I were the only two seniors. The rest were a junior, a sophomore and a freshman. I love all of them. Hayden and I both know we aren’t going to be here next year, so we knew we had to lead the other three goalkeepers so we could continue the success we had this year. Once or twice a week, we would do a training session during 6th period or after school with drills, tips and techniques. They’re young and all decent, but we need to help them become the best they can be.
I started playing goalie when I was like 10 years old. I didn’t necessarily want to play goalie, but my club team just didn’t have a goalie, and I was like, ‘Okay, I’ll give it a shot.’
I’ve always played soccer. It’s the only sport I grew up playing, so it really meant a lot to me. Freshman year, I started off on JV, and then I got moved up to varsity during the playoffs with all the big kids. They had full beards. I didn’t talk too much and had maybe one friend on varsity. In my sophomore year, I had a couple of close friends here and there. I wasn’t a big part of the team at the time because for half the season, I was on the bench. And then junior year — it was a very fun environment, but the soccer season itself wasn’t the best. I tried focusing, but the seniors last year had a different state of mind, and after we lost a couple of games, they just decided to have fun.
I like being the person people have to rely on. The pressure is nerve-wracking, but I find it enjoyable. Within my three years on varsity, I’ve been in six penalty shootouts, which is when the game ties and then you go to take penalties. I have never lost one for Bellaire’s soccer team.
When the ball is close to me, I always have to be aware and pay attention. Honestly, I’m not really thinking. I’m mainly watching the ball. Even when the ball isn’t near me, a big part of the job is to communicate with my team and always stay engaged. In the game, I can see the entire field, so I have to do a lot of yelling.
As a goalkeeper, you have to forget a lot. If you mess up early, you can’t dwell on that moment for the rest of the game, or else you’re in the wrong headspace, which can lead to more errors. You have to just forget about it. Move on. When we’re watching film, you’ve got to be like, ‘Okay, what did I do wrong here?’ And then practice to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
The sport has taught me that communication and having connections with people are very important. You can get far in life if you are able to know people and talk to them. I’ve never really been that shy, but soccer also helped me a lot with leadership. In a project, I won’t just be the one sitting in the back. I can talk to them and lead. I’m not the captain, but I like to say I led the team, because that’s part of my job. I have to have a good relationship with everyone.
A lot of my high school years, I was stressed, thinking, ‘Oh, I don’t know what’s gonna happen.’ But the more you stress about it, the more you’re worried. The time eventually passes by, and then you have regret.
I’ll probably play club soccer in college. I always watch soccer every weekend, so I won’t stop doing that. It’s always going to be a big part of my life. I hope [my teammates] know me as a good goalkeeper. I hope they know me as a good friend and just someone who can get along with anyone.”
