Women’s club soccer acquires young talent
The St. Joe’s women’s club soccer team, led by senior co-captain and coach Bella Tierce, welcomed 15 new additions to the team.
Tierce has been with the Hawks throughout her time on Hawk Hill and knows what it’s like to be in a team atmosphere.
“Essentially, the goal is to stick together and grow as a team,” Tierce said. “As a team, the biggest challenge is learning how to play and work together while only practicing two days a week.”
According to Tierce, they are already bonding as a team, as the new recruits have become part of the family. Tierce took time to get to know each new player.
“It is important to learn about each player as a person,” Tierce said.
One way Tierce does this is by gathering the squad together for team dinners in preparation for upcoming games. Tierce’s philosophy has worked as the veteran leader and her co-captains are beginning to mesh with the strong incoming class.
“This year we are a really young team because a lot of our upperclassmen went abroad,” Tierce said. “My other captains and I have been working diligently to do a lot of teaching to the younger girls, but at the same time, learn something from them. Everyone has different skills and techniques for success.”
One of Tierce’s co-captains, junior Shana Hildreth agreed, saying that the freshman class is already making a name for themselves and will be able to contribute on the field.
“These new freshmen came ready to get on the field and play,” Hildreth said.
While the freshmen brought talent to the team, they are inexperienced. Tierce is aware of her need to lead the team.
“I am big on doing and not saying,” Tierce said. “It is important to be a leader all of the time, on and off the field, in everything that you do. It is easy to say one thing and do another. How I act ultimately reflects how we are as a team and how we grow together.”
Tierce said respect for the game and the team are incredibly important. She is keen on cheering on her teammates during practice and always picking up the pace when things are slow.
Hildreth pointed to practice as the key to the Hawks’ success this year. She likes to focus on fitness, a structured workout and solid drills during practice. She works at building the team physically and mentally.
The Hawks hope that their time spent on the practice field will pay off, as they hope for a successful season.
“We work on being more loose and on our feet and we have a lot of energy on and off the field,” Hildreth said. “It should be a good year for the Hawks.”
