Girls varsity and JV soccer is a very popular sport here at Osbourn. Both teams have very talented players who have displayed their skills throughout the season. Playing on the teams requires a lot of practice and dedication. JV and varsity girls are trying to become the best players that they can when it comes to practice and games. They practice from 4-5:30 pm every day and always have a positive attitude when it is time to play on the field. They use what they’ve learned at practice and use their skills to play and to fight for that win that they have earned. They have also all improved from when they first started playing to now, and they all make mistakes and learn from that to get better every single day.

“I think it is really nice to be on the team and get individuals to commit to the team and be a part of the team win or lose and thinking of other people and not just of yourself and you help other people by also coming to practice and getting better and people help you even if you aren’t playing in the game.” said head varsity coach PJ Zenewicz. “I have felt very blessed to be working with the girls and seeing many of them wanting to learn. They are engaged with playing and also want to participate.  Every game I can see how much they have grown since the beginning and what they have learned to put in the work,” said JV coach Juan Guzman 

Soccer is a sport that everyone loves and is a thrill to watch. “The reason I choose soccer instead of other sports is because I love the high intensity, teamwork, and the excitement of the game. It’s a great sport to be passionate about,” said freshman Belliny Mejia Andres.  There are many positions when it comes to soccer. It is all based on your preference, whether you like attacking and scoring goals or keeping your goal safe and clearing out any ball that comes your way.  “I play offense, I like playing offense because it’s fun to not have to worry about defending and also being able to push forward and try to score,” said sophomore Alice Hertz. “I am a defender. I chose to be a defender because I like to get the ball up to my team so we can score goals!” said junior Mikaya Trammell.

Being on the team is more than just soccer. It creates new friendships and new memories. ” My favorite memory of the team is when we mercy-ruled Potomac. Almost everyone scored and everyone was so happy after the game because it was the first team we mercied,” said sophomore Alice Hertz. ” I like the new friends I make, I like having practice and games, and I love the ENERGY, ” said sophomore Ella Quinio. 

There are important qualities when it comes to being a team. Even though varsity and JV are separate teams, at the end of the day they work together as one. ” To get better as a team you need cooperation and positive attitudes. I think that we have such better attitudes on JV and varsity than we did last year. I think that we have a mission this year to be the best team that we can be. Everyone knows their role and that makes us better. We’re a team, not just one person” said coach Shelly Zenewicz. It is important to be a team player and to know your role. ” We have excellent freshmen on our team who know their roles and I think that is something really important. JV players know their role to, that we are all one big program and not divided teams. Some people think JV is a punishment and we know it is not a punishment because it is all part of a program, and without JV players we wouldn’t have a varsity program. said Zenewicz.

In every team, there are always rough patches. “I think we need to work more on communication when we are on the field or even just at practice,” said freshman Graidys Rivera. “I think something positive our team should have is a better mindset when losing because everyone tries their best and although we may not win the game, The effort we put in is all that matters. We should continue to be proud of ourselves even after a loss,” said junior Rachelle Mora Cruz. 

As the season starts wrapping up, our Osbourn seniors have some exciting roads ahead of them! Although they are leaving the team and starting their new journeys, playing on the high school team was a bittersweet experience for them. ” It is so bittersweet for me! I’ve spent four years on the soccer team, and while I’m excited to go on to new things, it’s really sad to see it go. Most of all, I’m really going to miss the girls and all the support they have given me,” said senior Nina Nicoletti.

“It being my last season is bittersweet, it’s crazy to think that over a decade of playing soccer is coming to an end this season. For college, I am going into the honors college at the University of Arizona on a full-ride scholarship. I plan on playing club soccer for the school my sophomore year and beyond,” said senior Kaya Graham.

“I will be playing DIII soccer at Kenyon College and pushing for an environmental science major. I’ll be honest, the recruiting process for me was really difficult. You face rejection after rejection and it is exhausting, however, I am so thankful for it because it landed me with a team that I am so excited to join. I feel like an individual there, rather than a number, and I am so excited to start a new chapter!” said Nina Nicoletti.

As high school soccer is halfway through the season, the varsity girls are 4-4 overall. Here are the scores and upcoming games!

3/11 Osbourn vs Garfield: JV 1-0 W, Varsity 3-0 W

3/14 Osbourn vs Potomac: Varsity 10-2 W

3/15 Osbourn vs John Lewis: JV 6-0 W, Varsity 3-2 W

3/19 Osbourn vs Unity Reed: JV 6-1 L

3/21 Osbourn vs Patriot: JV 6-0 L, Varsity 8-0 L

4/2 Osbourn vs Gainesville: JV  4-0 L, Varsity 4-1 L

4/5 Osbourn vs Battlefield: JV 8-0 L, Varsity 8-0 L

4/9 Osbourn vs Osbourn Park: JV 3-2 L, Varsity 2-0 W

4/16 Osbourn vs Freedom: JV 8-0 L, Varsity 9-0 L

4/18 Osbourn vs Unity Reed: JV 1-2 L

4/23 Osbourn vs Patriot @home JV 5-0 L, Varsity 8-0 L

Upcoming: 

4/26 Osbourn vs Gainesville @Gainesville High School

4/29 Osbourn vs John Lewis @John Lewis High School

4/30 Osbourn vs Battlefield @home

5/3 Osbourn vs Osbourn Park @home

5/9 Osbourn vs Freedom @Freedom High School