After being eliminated in the first round of the districts tournament last season, the girls’ soccer team looks to battle further into the competition this year. Players who are trying out will be tested on their fitness level, raw talent, ability to work as a team in game-like situations and willingness to listen and learn from coaches.
“I believe we have a lot of quality returners as well as the potential to add new members to our squad and program and am looking forward to having a fun and successful season,” girls soccer head coach Annie Wayland said.
Exciting matchups in the upcoming season are predetermined by the results of past games.
“There is an ingrained sense of rivalry amongst the Parkway district teams to see which team prevails. Our kids are always pumped up to play these opponents,” Wayland said.
Games that may prove to be challenging can also be foreshadowed by past seasons as well.
“District competition is always very challenging as we can never anticipate who will draw to play for districts. Our district is quite strong, resulting in us playing Visitation last year in the first round of districts. We hope to see them again as well advance further in district play this year,” Wayland said.
At the beginning of the season, the main goal is to build a strong team.
“I think one of the best things about playing for this team is how close we’ve become over the years,” junior Victoria Klemm said. “We do a lot of team bonding activities that help us become closer friends and teammates.”
Coach Wayland looks forward to not only continuing to work with returning players, but also to meeting incoming players.
“I am emotionally invested in each of them and want nothing but the best for them because when they succeed, we all succeed. When I get to see them grow and improve as a player and person we feel a sense of accomplishment as a coaching staff. We are lucky to have talented young women at Parkway West and we know that these ladies all have a very bright future ahead of them,” Wayland said.
![Holding the disc, senior Nathan Thompson waits for an opportunity to pass to senior Timmy Fry. Parkway United’s ultimate frisbee team is made up of students from each of the four Parkway schools. “The one thing I really like about ultimate [frisbee] is the community because it’s so different from any other sport I've been a part of. [My] national teammates are people who we play against in the regular season, so we see each other all the time. It's always fun hanging out with [them],” Thompson said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/C96A6823-1200x800.jpg)
![Senior Josie Grunzinger watches the football game intently from the sidelines on Oct. 18. Grunzinger stood out to the crowd as the only girl on the football team, encouraging other girls who want to play football to take a chance and go for a sport outside of their comfort zone. “If you think you could [play football] and you want to do it, just try it, because all it takes is to actually try it out,” Grunzinger said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Untitled-design-1200x675.png)
![With her arms held high, junior Jenna Rickelman throws the ball across the pool during a girls water polo practice. With hours of practice after school and over the summer, Rickelman saw many improvements in her water polo skills. “When I look at [my] stats, I'm so much better than I was last year,” Rickelman said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Untitled-design-2-.png)
![Putting on his helmet, catcher and senior Tommy Eschbach prepares to get in his primary stance. Despite losing 6-1 against Eureka on April 16, Eschbach didn’t let the tough loss affect his playing or mental health. “It's [so] easy to get caught up in the sport and what you're doing that [after] one bad game or a stretch of games it is hard to remind yourself that your worth as a person isn't directly related to your performance on the field,” Eschbach said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/DSC_0415-1-1-1200x800.jpg)
![Sports organizations have changed lives on and off the field, improving athletes’ muscle strength, reducing their risk of diseases and building energetic work capacity worldwide. However, many student-athletes struggle to balance schoolwork and athletic commitments, hoping to seek more understanding and support from their teachers and coaches. “To lessen mental strain student-athletes [face] and create a healthier, more comfortable lifestyle, there shouldn’t be any homework. I'm already [at school] for eight hours and [homework] creates a bigger load for student-athletes in AP or honors classes,” track and field sprinter and sophomore Lucy Penton said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/DSC_0095-1-e1713883278514-1200x847.jpg)
![At the Spring Pep Rally on March 8, boys varsity water poloist and junior Jack Brau stands with the boys water polo team. The group, hoping to include everyone — whether boy or girl, varsity or JV — cheered on the girls water polo team during the sports team runouts. “Even though we all play separate games and have different practices, we like to see ourselves as one big group who represent one water polo [team],” Brau said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/DSC_8810-1-1200x800.jpg)
![Looking for an open teammate, freshman Patrick May passes the ball across the court at the Nov. 28 game against Parkway Central. May started in the game against the Colts. ”Growing up, [my parents] always gave me a basketball, [and] we had a basketball hoop outside. I grew up playing [all the time], playing on the [driveway] and shooting hoops with my dad.” May said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/image2-1-1200x801.jpg)