Leadership. Confidence. Teamwork. Competition.
These are all essential attributes that are necessary for everyday life.
The Carlmont JV boys soccer team exemplified these life skills in a competitive match against Homestead on Dec. 2. Despite losing the game 2-1, Carlmont displayed many characteristics that are built through competitive sports.
Often, it’s easy for a player’s competitive side to take over when they are in the heat of the moment. However, Carlmont’s composure during the first half allowed them to take advantage. As the competition began to escalate between the Scots and Mustangs, Carlmont freshman Daran Ebadi scored the first goal of the game.
“Scoring the first goal put us in the lead, and gave us a boost to finish,” Ebadi said.
The first half of the game ended quickly with no more goals being scored, but during the half’s final minutes, Carlmont sophomore Remington Vernon went down with an injury.
The Mustangs and Scots argue over a call made by the ref during their heated match on Dec. 2.
Another crucial life skill that’s taught through sports is the ability to work with a team. As an athlete playing a team sport, building trust and good relationships with one another is the key to success.
“If one goes down, we all go down,” said Nate Anson, a sophomore.
The ability to play together will always add as an advantage to the team, allowing a flow of chemistry and trust within the group to build teamwork.
Returning sophomore Zach Plemons has earned his spot as a team captain this season due to his persistence as an individual, leadership ability, confidence, and overall skill.
The majority of Carlmont’s JV team includes multiple returning players, as well as returning coach Ryan Freeman. Despite having spent a relatively short time together, the team has already built a strong bond with one another, including the newer players.
“During tryouts, I was very welcomed by others. However, I was nervous at first that some of the older players would be harsh, but everyone was super nice,” said Luca Byers-Mora, a freshman.
Toward the second half of the game, the Scots and the Mustangs continued to show their aggression towards each other. It began to seem as though their competitiveness was outshining their sportsmanship. However, the game took a turn when sophomore Justin Wade on Homestead got injured.
There’s a common stigma when it comes to sports that the most important thing is to win and that the opponent can only be seen as someone you’re trying to beat. Despite the stigma, Carlmont freshman, David Valadez, showed the balance between competition and sportsmanship by walking over and making sure that Wade was okay after the injury.
Having a balance between both competition and sportsmanship is an important attribute that can be difficult to learn, but one that all athletes recognize as significant.
“Sportsmanship and winning are both just as important, as well as attitude. A good attitude within the team allows us to be more successful,” Byers-Mora said.
The second half began to draw towards an end and seemed in favor of the Scots until Homestead sophomore team captain Jack Ohman assisted freshman Gabe Medeiros to score the Mustangs their first goal of the game. The score was now a 1-1 tie with time ticking down.Â
“Scoring the first goal gave our team energy throughout the ending of the game,” Medeiros said.
With less than 10 minutes on the clock, sophomore Vikram Penumarti used the sudden surge of energy to score the Mustangs, their final goal of the game.
“Since the first goal, we had a lot more enthusiasm and a lot more courage to step up to the ball,” Penumarti said.
The Mustang’s confidence and energy overrode the Scots, allowing Homestead to win 2-1.
“Going forward in the season, we’re going to work on avoiding the little mistakes, defense, and making sure that we don’t let the ref’s calls affect us,” Byers-Mora said.
Fans can see the Scots JV boys soccer team play again on Dec. 5 against Palo Alto and watch as they improve throughout the season.
