Cordelia Portman

Manitou Springs High School varsity soccer team huddles at half time on Aug. 3 to discuss their gameplay. The team won their last two games and continued on strong with a winning score of 10-0.

Watch out as the Manitou Springs High School boys soccer team kicks the season off strong. During the first game of the season, the varsity team took the win with a score of 11-0 against Delores Huerta Prep, setting this season off to a great start.  

Players have to come together to form a team, fulfill their goals and take accountability. MSHS coaches encourage team building and unity with pride. “It’s the most important thing that we understand that we are a team and to be a part of the team you have to play with the team,” MSHS soccer coach and social studies teacher Sam Duff said.

The coaches rely on captains to settle and lead their teammates to achieve goals.“It’s not just the captains, we all hold each other accountable, even other players holding the captain’s accountable,” captain Evan Yount (12) said.  “ It’s not as scary as going to a coach and asking for help or having questions.”

The team has big goals this year for making the playoffs, working hard and lifting each other up. “More than anything, I want them to understand the unique challenges of having to work for something really hard within a small group,” head coach Benjamin Mack said. 

Seniors on the team have high hopes of making it to the playoffs to end their final season with a last hurrah. For the captains, it is important to not only communicate with their teammates but also the coaches. “Since we’re senior heavy. A lot of us just want to go to the playoffs and hopefully to the state championship,” Yount said. 

The coaches this year want the players to see the game as an experience they can take life lessons  from. “Be positive through life experiences, there’s gonna be adversity, all the time, people are gonna mess up. It’s just gonna happen in life,” Mack said.

Even through adversity, taking responsibility for oneself and the team is an important example to the community. The team is working hard to come together as individuals to form a strong team spirit, heading into the new season. Coach Duff  says the team is working on “self accountability, team accountability, and a little bit of vulnerability within the team.”

With a strong start to the season, the players, captains and coaches all look forward to further building their team and taking the season by storm. Duff said, “It’s important to come together and be a part of something bigger than the individual”