The Thirds soccer team is full of excitement. Each afternoon, as the clock reaches 3:15 pm, the students and coaches gather for a productive practice. Made up of Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth formers, you may think the off-field chemistry is mixed, but no, we support each other with kindness and shared interests. In the first few days of the season, the connection between us was not there, but we pushed through, and then it clicked. We all became more compassionate and realized that being a successful team is not about individual glory but about collective triumph and mutual support.

What helped our team the most were the real-game scenario drills, because when the game came around, we knew what to do in most situations, leading to goals with high chemistry. Thirds soccer kicked off the season with an amazing game against Four Rivers Charter Schools, the score being 4-1 with goals from Ryland Mehta ’28, Bear Adams ’29, and Austin Yeung ’27. Unfortunately, games against Wilbraham & Munson, and Hopkins Academy were canceled due to other reasons.

A big advantage our team has is that when we make mistakes, we shake it off, stay supportive, and keep playing as if nothing happened. Our amazing coaches have taught us that footwork and staying on your toes are crucial because soccer is centered on speed and fast reaction time.

Our coaches have also taught us that conditioning is not a punishment but, in fact, is beneficial in many ways, such as reducing injury risk and increasing stamina, which will help you last longer in games. Our coaches are Ms. Inch, Mr. Budde, and Mr. Ellinwood. The members of Thirds soccer are Bear Adams ’29, Sequoia Borek ’27, Johnny Cabot ’29, Jasper Chen ’28, Hyun Cho ’30, Edward Choi ’30, Brian Dong ’28, Felix Han ’29, Colin Hong ’29, Shelby Jackson ’28, Daniel Jiang ’27, Wayne Liao ’27, Jay Ma ’28, Sean Ma ’28, Ryland Mehta ’28, Wesley Morse ’30, Austin Yeung ’27, Ryan Yuan ’28, Boran Zhang ’28, and Jason Zhong ’28.