Spring Break is nearly upon us! Out of all the second-trimesters that I have experienced over the years, this winter has definitely gone by the most quickly. It’s been a challenging few months academically, but full of beautiful weather, plenty of time with friends, and, of course, a fantastic last season of soccer!

This year, the Girls’ Varsity Soccer team won the Condor League (and went undefeated in the league, beating Laguna, Dunn, and Cate twice each!), and earned the best record overall that the team has seen in years.

Of course, though, our successes are only a small part of the equation. What made this season truly unforgettable, especially for the nine seniors on the team (as seen in picture), was how, in so many small ways, our team became a family throughout the season. We supported each other in every way, and filled every single practice with hard work and a lot of laughter.

The day before our first-round playoff game was Valentine’s Day, and, at the end of practice, as we sat discussing our strategy for the next day’s game, our coach, Mr. St. George, pointed us to a possibly cliché but entirely true fact: that our team ran off of talent, yes, but mostly off of love for one another.

The next day, minutes before the game, as we were getting pumped and focusing all of our thoughts on intensity, aggression, teamwork, and of, course, victory, Mr. St. George’s reminded us “and, don’t forget the most important thing – have fun!” We all knew that he wanted the win as much as we did, but throughout the season, he chose to emphasize improvement, love for the game, and love for the team more than just goals.

A shared competitiveness and drive and a light-hearted and supportive environment came together this winter to create one of the best seasons, and most memorable teams that I have experienced at Thacher. As I move forward into the spring and reflect on eleven seasons worth of Thacher team sports, I won’t soon forget the hundreds of afternoons that have been an essential part of my Thacher experience, and how lucky I’ve been to experience the community of such a simple thing as a soccer team.