Gearing up for girls’ soccer open season: An insider’s perspective
by Savannah C.
During the entire month of October, the Airport Girls Soccer teams, meaning JV and Varsity prospectives, are filled with excitement and anticipation to be able to step back out on the field to work on ball skills and open-season conditioning. Many team aspirants, including myself, have mixed but mostly good emotions.
Normally, soccer season begins in January and starts with a few weeks of conditioning which lead up to tryouts at the end of the last week. This year, returning varsity players met with coaches about the season to come. We were given our schedule and dates for the open season conditioning. The open season stretches October 1 - 31, 2024.
The excitement has already begun to set in for our soccer players. For some, this is their final season playing high school soccer. As a player, I am excited to reconnect with my fellow teammates, and bring home success for our school and team.
Feelings are mixed because, as a team, we have faced some minor setbacks, in particular losing a few former teammates to Grey Collegiate Academy, and our former head coach, Keith Morris, retiring from his long-term coaching position. With that being said, this will not set us back from bringing success.
The open season is a great opportunity for our team to regain some skills, and set us up for success in the upcoming season. Our new coaching staff is very persistent in having a successful, yet fun season. The goal for the year is to give everyone the ability to show off their talent all while having fun.
I have been a part of the Airport Girls Soccer team for the past four years. I can say this is the most excited I have ever been about an upcoming season. Speaking for myself, I am excited to get out and be able to prove my real talents. No matter what the setbacks may be, it is important for our coaches to help us stick together as a team and do what we can for each other.
The open season is given to athletes to give them the ability to get back on the ball and get some touches. The time frame is set in place to follow the South Carolina High School league guidelines. After the open season dates are up, athletes are not allowed to practice with the ball until the set season comes around. Fortunately, the next round of the open season begins January 1 - 29, 2025.
Anyone is allowed to come out for open season practice, even if they have never played soccer before. In fact, it is encouraged for those who have never played to come out. It is a good opportunity to come out and learn more about the sport and skills before trying out and for coaches to spot raw talent.
When asked why she is excited to get back on the field in October, and why starting the soccer season early is important to her, senior soccer player, Infiniti G., says, “I’m excited to get back on the field starting in October, because this is my last high school season. I feel like soccer has such a big role in my life because it has been a big learning opportunity for me and also where I met most of my friends. Soccer has been one of the most important things in my life for about 6 years now. I honestly can’t imagine not playing.” It is certain that sports hold a significant spot in many student-athletes' hearts. Everyone is on a mission to make themselves happy in the way they know best.
When asked if she was nervous about the soccer season, and what she was expecting this year, senior soccer player, Brianna H., said, “I’m really nervous because it’s senior year and the last thing I want to happen is for us to have a bad season, and it's my senior year. I’m expecting to get more goals and trying to get more assists and helping to lead the team in any way that I can to help us do just as good as we've been before.” It is evident that it is a group conscious that each athlete wants to do what they can in order to help lead their team in being successful.
Across the board, it seems that everyone participating is excited. This is a new experience for all of us, but it will definitely be a good one. Airport High School will get to experience yet another good sports season for the Lady Eagle Soccer team.
If you would like to attend conditioning, or tryouts, you can check the Airport High School webpage https://ahs.lex2.org/. You can also reach out to Coach Micah Merchant, or Hayley Davis.