On Thursday, March 6, Wakefield High School’s varsity girls soccer team won its first game this season, defeating Wake Prep Academy 9-0. Less than a week later, they again dominated on the field, winning 6-0 against Jordan High. While these victories may be overlooked by some, they were certainly significant for the Lady Wolverines. 

The start of this year’s spring season proved to be more difficult than usual, as reflected in the team’s original record of zero wins, three losses and two ties. Inevitably, the girls were disheartened by such a turnout. Senior and starter on the team, Luna Garcia, recalls their overall performance and expresses her concerns. 

“This season, [our team has] some of the best talent we’ve had in the last few years; a lot of us are committed to go play college soccer,” Garcia said. “But we started off really rough, which was almost [a] culture shock for us.”

Fortunately for the team, a new head coach stepped up and turned the obstacles around to yield a more positive outlook. Abby Kotzker, a senior on the team, describes what was necessary for the team to attain a better chance at success. 

“We had a rocky start to the season, so it was necessary that we regrouped and established some new goals for our team,” Kotzker said. “Although changing coaches a third of the way through the season is not ideal, this change marks a notable turn for our soccer program as we have the privilege of being led by the men’s soccer State Champion, Coach Calabria.” 

With the transition, numerous things have been altered around the team to give everyone a fresh start on the playing field. Anthony Calabria, the new personality that is now leading the girls, highlights the changes he has put in place.

“We’ve changed everything; we changed the attitude, the behavior, the expectations, the starting lineup, the position the girls are playing in and the formation,” Calabria said. “Everybody is connecting and it’s been a lot of fun. Of course, winning’s always fun too.”

It’s evident that this remodeling has inspired each of the girls, improving their stamina and their teamwork. Camryn Zimmerman, a junior and defender on the women’s soccer team, confirms this positive shift.

“You could just see the energy switch while we were on the field,” Zimmerman said. “You could tell everyone wanted to be there and was excited about the win. It was very rewarding.” 

The team has games and practices twice a week, in which they get a feel for their new positions and work diligently towards achieving their goals. Calabria outlines what a typical day at practice consists of. 

“They’ll do a little warm-up together in two lines, then we’ll meet as a team to talk about their expectations for the day,” Calabria said. “The practice will be different [each day], so a lot of it will reflect on what we did [or] what we need to improve on in the previous game.”

The changes in positions for the girls have proven to be an indicator of improvement in the games. The players are now able to lead the team to success from positions in which they are to thrive the most.

“I think [Coach Calabria] saw where some people would fit best instead of playing them in the position they may have wanted to,” Zimmerman said. “He put them in a position where he saw them succeeding the most and being able to help the team the most, playing a big role in our wins.”

Even with the rapid changes mid-season, it’s still very clear that the team has stepped towards a new light and is ready to tackle anything that comes their way. 

“Our motto is ‘el movimiento es vida.’ Movement is life,” Calabria said. “I want them to keep moving, keep adapting [and] keep changing.”