During the fall season, boys soccer was one of the fastest-growing sports at Hoffman Estates High School. This spring season, girls soccer has taken its place. With an increased interest in girls sports, the HEHS girls soccer team saw a huge increase in their tryout numbers. So much so, they had to add a new team.
The girls soccer team had over one hundred girls try out for the team, which is about thirty new participants. The head varsity coach not only noticed an increase in girls soccer but all of girls sports as a whole.
“It’s really cool to see college and professional teams getting more recognition. I think those women are inspiring young ladies to go out for more sports teams,” said Mary Dansdill, head coach.
The high tryout numbers created more competition over who made the roster this season. The new talent on all of the teams allowed the girls to learn to adapt to different playing styles than they were used to.
“I think having new members is always a positive. It’s nice to have girls with new talent push current players to be the best that they can be,” said Dansdill.
The players felt a shift not only in the way they had to play, but also in the team’s morale all together.
“The past couple of years were tough, but this year we came out and performed better than most years,” said Captain Sydney Carlson, senior.
There was definitely a huge difference this year and last year, and honestly, any other year as well. All the girls put forward 110% effort on the field, and we worked so hard to get wins, and even when we lost, we made sure we played our best game,” said Captain Arianna Lopez, senior.
Part of playing soccer is feeling the highs and lows. Even the best professional players go through tough times playing their sport. The girls soccer team was able to maintain a positive and supportive attitude throughout the season.
“We all got along very well, and it was truly a family, this group of girls was super close in comparison to the other years. Team dynamic is super important to work together on the field, and I saw all the girls as my little sisters,” said Lopez.
The team was able to become a tight-knit group very quickly, which allowed them to play better as a group. It was important for the girls to get to know each other even before the season started.
“Another thing that’s beneficial for us is that it gets the girls to get to know each other, which allows them to bond and makes the season more cohesive,” said Karl Tooren, coach. “So they get to know each other, and they’re not trying to learn everybody’s name and who everyone is on the first few days.”
The new players gave the team the opportunity to grow and learn. They allowed the team to develop new and creative ways to play the games. The girls soccer team is excited and ready for the new talent in the upcoming years as interest in female sports increases.
