The Boys Varsity Soccer Team Sets Goals!
By Marilyn Muniz ('23)
Now that school sports are in full swing again at North Rockland High School, the majority of the players and coaches have set high expectations and goals for their season. It seems like people forget the fact that most of these athletes have had these goals for years now. As we all know, sports weren’t the same for almost a year due to COVID-19 restrictions. However, speaking to the Boys Varsity Soccer team, as well as speaking to Coach Dwyer and Coach Borchers, shows their dedication and their will to better themselves as a team.
Starting off with some COVID difficulties, Coach Dwyer described the main restrictions that affected soccer by saying, “As a team, we really didn't have an opportunity to have off-season workouts/practices which we would typically have...for the players, they had to play in masks which can be really difficult with the amount of running that comes with the sport.” It seems that now more people understand the reasons why coaches even chose their jobs in the first place.
When Coach Borchers was asked for his reasoning, he stated, “I became a coach because I had so many incredible coaches growing up, and I wanted to honor them and do my best to follow in their footsteps.” Coach Dwyer was then asked about some of his core values as a coach. He replied with, “We stress hard work and maximum effort, along with being a good teammate on and off the field.”
Moving on to the players on this year’s team, there’s Juan Munguia (‘21), co-captain of the team and #15 on the field. He was asked what the best part about playing is and how it makes him feel. He answered with, “The best part about competing is finally putting your hard work to the test and battling it out for the win. When I'm playing I get a rush which clears my mind and for 80 minutes nothing else matters but the game.”
The following question was for Gabriel Garcia (‘23) about his goal for this season, to which he replied, “My main goal for this season is to go on a good run...when people unite and go after a common goal, they tend to find success. I believe our team has the potential to go on a great run and to find great success.”
Andy Palacios Jimenez (‘21) was the next to respond to my question about if he sees himself playing soccer in the long run. He said, “Yes, I do see myself playing soccer in the long run. I love this sport, it's my passion, and it's something I wouldn't let go of. I thank God for giving me this talent, and I thank my teammates and my coaches for pushing me to be the player I am right now. This jersey that I have on during game days represents pride, integrity, and passion.”
With all of these answers, one can say that these players all became more than just a team, they seem more like a family. This might be due to the fact that most of these players grew up together playing soccer. Even then, the amount of trust they have within each other is amazing. They all are clearly having this great amount of passion towards bettering themselves as players and even together as one team. Winning is important to them, but a few also stated that their goals and assists aren’t what really matter to them, it’s the fact that they can be a part of the team and help their teammates better themselves and look out for each other. That’s what matters the most to them.