The Saint Francis Varsity Girls’ Soccer team continues to demonstrate their excellence, heading into their post-season with a WCAL championship, ending 9-0-1 in league play. The Lancers hope to defend their CCS and CIF NorCal titles in the coming weeks, so let’s see what has helped our Lancers succeed as a team.
A supportive culture, balanced with a competitive mindset, is an integral part of the team’s accomplishments; everyone always looks out for each other. Brooklyn O’Brien (’25) says that the expectation that is set from the beginning of the season is that “everyone is expected to give 110% at every practice,” not just for themselves but also for their teammates. It is crucial that players are giving their all at practice so that they are prepared to maintain a high level of play throughout their games.
The way practice is structured is also essential to ensuring the Lancers’ success on the field. At the beginning of practice, players are given a practice plan which is written on a whiteboard in the locker room. A typical practice starts with warm-ups and exercises with resistance bands to strengthen glutes and prevent injuries. This is followed by passing activation and a position game or a scrimmage. O’Brien highlights that her “favorite part is the position games because they are intense and fun, and [the] coaches play with [the student-athletes].”
O’Brien also describes a significant game this season for the team which truly demonstrated their resilience. Following a tie against rival Archbishop Mitty in a close match earlier in the season, the Lancers faced them again in their second round of league play. After a hard-fought, close game, the Lancers beat Mitty 1-0 with a game-winning goal by Charlotte Kohler (’24). This was a big moment for the team, and O’Brien highlights how much the student section makes a difference at a game: “there were so many people there, and we had been hyping up that game for a week, [so] everyone was super excited.”
Success as an athlete also involves overcoming tough challenges. For example, many athletes have to overcome balancing their sport with other activities that they participate in addition to their schoolwork. Although O’Brien says that balancing schoolwork is not a struggle, she points out that managing other extracurricular activities such as Student Council and SFFC can be difficult due to time constraints. However, she also highlights that her coaches are very supportive and help her manage her other activities.
Finally, what makes the team so special is the numerous unique traditions that the team has, especially on their game days. For example, the team wears matching game-day outfits during the school day to show their camaraderie. O’Brien also describes the team’s “locker room hype” routine where they have “a dance circle” to get excited and lock-in before games. One unexpected tradition is that the team hits a granola bar on the way out of the locker room which is an inside joke among the players and a memento for good luck before every game. Lastly, while praying before games, every player standing in a circle touches their cleats. All of these traditions help solidify the bond between these teammates and help them connect both on and off the field, which is crucial to their success.
Make sure to come out and support our Girls’ Soccer team in their post-season games as they continue to dominate the field!
