What are your plans for after graduation?

Mia: When I graduate, I will be going to Minnesota State Mankato for soccer. I’ve been committed since the summer of my freshman year.

Morgan: I will be attending the University of Nebraska. I am not sure what I’m majoring in yet, but I’m pretty sure it’s going to be in the business aspect because they have a really good business program.

Sara: After I graduate, I’m going to the University of Iowa, and I’m going to study to become an elementary education teacher.

Do you want soccer to play a part in your future?

Mia: Yeah, since I will be playing soccer in college, I’ve been talking with my high school coach about positions I’m planning on playing. It’s been helpful getting minutes in those positions for next year.

Sara: Yeah, I think soccer has taught me a lot throughout my life, so I think taking what I’ve learned from it into my education and all aspects of life will help. I also want to do intramural soccer when I’m there. That’s my plan.

What are the differences in your experience on the soccer team as an upperclassman versus a lower classman?

Mia: I wouldn’t say there was a big difference for me. When I was an underclassman, you didn’t know your age on the team. Everyone was on the same playing field because you were all playing the same game. Getting to sit by myself on the bus as an upperclassman, though, is the best part.

Morgan: As a lower-classman, I was kind of scared. Soccer is my main sport, but one thing that really helped me my Freshman year was having good captains and good leaders. That definitely changes how the whole team fits together and how you play on the field. All of that translates into how I want to be as a captain. I want to have a good team bond and make sure everybody’s comfortable. I’m hoping that this will not only make everybody feel good, but it’ll help us win games.

On that note, what’s your favorite part about being a captain?

Mia: I enjoy having some younger people on the team looking up to me and talking to me about their problems and what they see on the field. There are always different perspectives on what’s happening on the field. Hearing those different perspectives and then figuring them out is kind of cool.

Morgan: I like knowing that people can turn to me to talk about things. I want people to know it’s a sport, but also if you have outside struggles, it’s totally okay to take the time to focus on that. As a captain, I want the team to know they always have support either in soccer or outside of soccer.

Sara: I like being able to be a helping hand for anybody that needs it. I’ve been on teams before where I’ve been excluded and left out, so I think just being there to help people and getting the team together is the most important thing to me as a captain.

How did you first get into playing soccer?

Mia: I’m the youngest of 4 kids in my family, and my parents put all of us into soccer through Kickers and club soccer programs when we were around 5.

Morgan: What started it for me was kickers. I really enjoyed having kickers, I met a lot of my good friends there. Then going into a club team was really enjoyable for me. It was more intense, more competitive. So, soccer has always been my main sport. I’ve always loved doing it.

Sara: My cousins played soccer for a long time and ever since I was born I would go to their games to watch them play. Growing up, I was always thinking soccer was going to be my sport. I loved it. I then became a goalkeeper for City High because nobody else wanted to do it. I went in one game, and I would stick my arm out and the ball would bounce off of it, and I thought, “Oh, that’s pretty cool.” So I just stayed in the goal.

What is your best or favorite memory?

Mia: When Lizzie Peters, a senior on the team last year, flung dead worms at people when we hurt at our practices. Anything that involves Lizzie Peters is a good memory.

Morgan: I have so many but I always love the West high games, it’s always a game where everybody goes in really wanting it and they are a good soccer team to play against. Just like Corbin always says, it’s always the team that wants it more that is going to win. I think that really shows a lot about the team you are and I always love playing in the rival game.

Sara: I have two. The first one was freshman year when we beat Prairie, they were really good at the time, and we won in penalty kicks. That was a big moment for us because it was one of the moments in soccer where we all thought, “oh, we can do that, we just did that.” Another memory was this year, I like all the bus rides when we’re all together just having fun on the bus. Those are some of my favorite memories.

Do you have any advice for your younger self as a player or for younger teammates?

Mia: Don’t play afraid, even if you are younger, because high school soccer is a different thing. You’re playing against a lot of older people, but nobody knows your age on the soccer field unless you show it to them.

Morgan: Mistakes are always going to happen. I know I definitely put pressure on myself, I could go into a game and score a goal but I’m always looking back at that one thing I did wrong. So, as long as you’re working hard and putting it all out in the field, and also working with the people around you, that’s really all that matters at the end of the day.

Sara: Yeah, I would say use your past years to teach you things, but don’t let them define what you can do in the future. Because one thing that I’ve struggled with is comparing past seasons to my current one. While that can be helpful in little amounts, in larger amounts it taints what you can do in the present. So, I’d say to use those past lessons wisely but also focus more on the now.

How have your past coaches impacted how you take on a role of leadership?

Morgan: At the end of the day having fun is totally something I’m all about. I love having team members who love to compete and want to win. But, if you’re playing a team that’s really hard, as long as you all go out there and have fun, that is all that matters. That’s something I’ve learned from a lot of coaches. It’s always hard too because certain coaches don’t have those same ideas and that’s what really hurts a team. It puts so much pressure on people. When you have that coach that is there, when you have that coach that focuses on things outside of the sport that makes sure you’re happy and enjoying the sport itself, that’s so important.

Sara: One of the most important things that I’ve been taught is, “the golden rule,” treat others how you want to be treated. But I would say, play the game how you want to live your life. If you always go into a game knowing you will come out not regretting anything, then you can leave it all on the field. I learned that I would rather put everything on the line and do my best in the game than come out of it thinking I could have done certain things better. That’s my big one.

Is there a moment during a City High game that you are especially proud of?

Mia: Whenever an underclassman takes a shot. Seeing them score a goal is the best feeling ever because they get so excited. Scoring always comes with a great feeling, and I know that feeling, it’s always so great to get to see them feel that way too.

Morgan: Last year when we played Liberty, it was tied 0-0 the whole game. I thought to myself, I’m gonna score the ball, and I took a touch inside my foot and I hit this long shot and it went in. I was so glad, and I also definitely learned a lot about needing to take more shots farther away.

Sara: Our recent penalty kick shootout against Cedar Falls. I did not think I could do it, and seeing myself succeed in saving goals and scoring was something that made me really happy.

What is it like being a multi-sport athlete? What comes from juggling all the sports either at the same time or separately?

Mia: It’s hard. It’s hard to keep your body healthy the entire season, especially when you do multiple sports at a time because there’s so much that you’re getting asked to do. If other people are gonna do two sports or more, just always make sure that you’re taking care of your body and your mental health over everything else.

Morgan: It gets stressful a lot of the time. But, I also think sports are a great way to get rid of all the outside stresses when you’re in an environment with your teammates and you are having fun. That’s one of the reasons I enjoy sports. It helps me get away from everything else that’s going on in my life. So, being a multi-sport athlete, it’s definitely stressful, but just having that environment where I’m around people that make me happy is something I really love. It’s important that you make sure to take time for yourself. Create bonds in these sports that are going to help you along the way, and help you juggle all the struggles.

What’s your favorite thing to do outside of school and sports?

Mia: I really like to listen to podcasts, I enjoy crime podcasts a lot.

Morgan: I love a good book. I actually read a lot. I love taking car rides and just listening to music. That’s something I do all the time. I like hanging out with friends and family, and I’m also an outdoors person. I enjoy going outdoors, whether it’s boating or walking or anything.

Sara: I’m quite musical. I like to sing. I’m also very expressive, very loud, and jumpy. I enjoy doing art and other things that help me express what I’m feeling.

What would you say to the little kids who are gonna get the opportunity to play soccer?

Morgan: Do it. It doesn’t even have to be soccer, but put yourself out there to do a sport because it really does teach you a lot and it brings you close to many people – some of them are your best friends. When it comes to City High soccer, it’s always been a great program, all year round I can’t wait for soccer season and it’s always been such a good environment to be around. Try it out, you get better as an athlete and you also grow as a person.

Sara: If you’re doing any sport, if you are involved in any sport, doing soccer will help you with that sport. So if you’re wanting to stay in shape for something or even if you’re not in a sport, if you’re a singer, you’re an artist, doing any sport can help you with anything in life. It teaches you adversity, it teaches you mental toughness, and it teaches you balance. It teaches you so many things. There’s no reason not to do it. You will have so much fun if you put yourself out there, so just let yourself have fun because especially at City, it’s a great program to be a part of.

Can you state how many years you guys have been in the program and then what your first choice jersey number is?

Mia: I’ve been on the varsity team since my freshman year of high school, besides the COVID year. I’m number 4.

Morgan: I’ve been a part of the varsity soccer program for four years, for three years I’ve been playing because of COVID. My lucky number is nine, it’s always been my lucky number. My two brothers and my dad wore that number and they’re my role models.

Sara: I have been in the soccer program for my four years of high school, but I’ve been on varsity for three years because we didn’t have our sophomore year with COVID. I’m number 0 on the field because I’m a goalkeeper but if I had to pick a number I would pick number 13.

Any final statements about this season from the senior captains?

Sara: This is our year, we’re going to state.