She dribbles, she shoots, she steals the ball from her teammates, and she does it all again. Many high school girls’ soccer teams have this problem, a ball hog, a shot-first player. However, the Highlanders do not have this problem, or anything like it.
Although Highlanders girls’ soccer has a slew of talented players capable of doing it all themselves, coach Jamie Ochsner ensures that the team has never had better selflessness and chemistry.
“Everyone has each other’s back, everyone feels like a part of this team,” said Ochsner.
Players feeling connected brings serenity to the team and dread to their opponent; this sense of feeling secure has played into their goals and success on the season.
“The first goal is obviously to win sectionals; after that is regionals and we’ll see from there,” Ochsner said.
Much to Ochsner’s gratitude, many players on the team have made sure to buy into this season and what they’re building for the future.
“Jamie has done an amazing job of leading this team, I have no doubt we’ll do great things this season,” senior and varsity captain Isabella Lanham said.
A major part of having success and good relationships with teammates is team bonding. Former player Makayla Koch said many of the team’s favorite memories were the Halloween parties at junior Cassie Oliver’s house, while other teammates’ memories may be bus rides home.
“I’ve never really been on a team that’s as fun as this one – the bus rides, the team bonding, everything is exciting,” said former player Audrey Brieschke.
The team was not always as cheerful as this year, though. The team’s growth may often be attributed to the captains or the team’s high spirits, but Ochsner has done just as much if not more to grow the team.
“Jamie [Ochsner] has helped this team so much; he makes sure everyone feels like they have a home,” said former player Kylie Koch.
Throughout the season every team will have rough patches and gray areas, but Ochsner tries to avoid and work through these moments as best as he can. Often Ochsner stays up late into the night after tough games watching film and taking notes. The improvements because of these tactics are drastic, with the Highlanders not having any losing streaks over 1 and an impressive 10-3 record.
“It’s been a fantastic season thus far, I am proud of this team and how we work together,” said Makayla.
Whether the Highlanders are warming up before a game or practicing late at night, there is never a lack of energy. Energy is often emitted from positive role models or coaches, this is true for the Highlanders.
“Assistant Coach Nate Bilkey and Assistant Coach Isabella Crist frequently bring good vibes and energy to practice, it makes practice much more enjoyable,” said Brieschke.
Many teachers and coaches often have trouble inspiring high school students to try their hardest or not give up regardless of circumstances, Ochsner often uses extra time to motivate. “I try to lift the team as well as I can, and using spare time or motivating during slow drills is helpful to build them up,” said Ochsner
Though the Highlanders are a very talented team and are performed well this season, it can still be hard to remain focused. Staying focused is pivotal to maintaining the success that the team may have previously had. Before practice and games, students or fans may regularly catch the upperclassmen encouraging and uplifting the underclassmen. Encouragement doesn’t always come in the form of appealing words.
“I try my hardest to be nice when giving pep talks but a major part of growing is recognizing your mistakes, so it’s very important to point some actions out,” said Kylie.
Ochsner and many other coaches across the country are alike in their tactics of watching film. But not many other coaches are as good at fixing these mistakes as Ochsner and his assistant coaches. “Not often do we have the same mistakes in multiple games, and very rarely do those mistakes have lingering effects,” said Lanham.
Many prolonged effects can be detrimental to a team’s success, and some may be crucial. The Highlanders werelucky enough to have the latter, a group that passes almost too much but just enough to slowly rip apart opposing teams.
Brieschke receives the ball in the back third and passes it down the line to junior Cassie Oliver, Oliver crosses it into the box for senior Pierce Derrington to head in for the goal: a true pass-first, team-first squad.