Junior Justin Jones and seniors Carter Santa, Stephen Hlobik and Hudson Weaver discuss how they manage challenges and lead their team to success as varsity soccer captains.
Q - How do all the captains work together?
Santa: “The captains especially are all friends and by being friends outside of soccer we are really able to be honest with each other and work together to sort things out when games can go wrong.”
Q - How do you keep the team motivated throughout the game?
Weaver: “I keep the team motivated through tough games by just reminding everyone we all belong here, and we’re on the field for a reason. I know our team can beat any other team, and giving my teammates that same confidence is a goal I try to achieve every game.”
Q - What influenced you to start playing soccer?
Jones: “My dad, he played throughout his whole life and coached me for many years.”
Q - What's been the best part of the season so far?
Hlobik: “So far, the best part of the season has to be theBlue Valley Southwest game. Coming back and winning after being down 1-0 at half against the second - ranked team in the nation was really fun. There was also a major student section there.”
Q - How do you help your team overcome challenges?
Jones: “I help my team overcome challenges by communicating and talking when I notice challenges come up. I also think relaxing and calming the team down, reminding teammates to play our game, serves a big role in overcoming our challenges.”
Q - What is the team working on improving this year?
Santa: “The team has been focusing a lot on improving honestly, just our chemistry. I feel like our team this year is really tight - knit and we are all having a blast, but still competing to be the best we can all be.”
Q - Why did you want to be captain?
Weaver: “I wanted to be a captain because I like having the leadership role to talk and help teammates at games and at practice, along with the fact I’ve been a captain the three previous years for SM East soccer, so I really wanted to keep it going and do something I don’t think anyone’s done before.”
Q - How do you lead your team on and off the field?
Hlobik: “I’m always looking out for them and holding them to high standards. We are a team that wants to win so I make sure that everyone is focused on that goal and giving it 100%. Off the field, I just make sure people are representing the program and school in a proper way, and it’s a brotherhood here at East, so I always have my teammates back.”
Leave a Reply