Carlton's Student Newspaper
The senior girls’ soccer team is off to a great start! Just last weekend they won all their games in Moose Jaw! In the semi finals the team beat Swift Current with a score of 2-0 and brought home gold beating St. Mary’s in the final 2-0.
The Senior Girls’ coach, Mrs. Ferguson has been coaching for nine years here at Carlton, even though growing up, she admits she knew nothing about soccer.
“I grew up playing fastball and hockey” she says.
When she first started teaching at Carlton, the then-current coach of the Senior girls asked if she wanted to help coach, with the intention of eventually taking over. Interested, Mrs. Ferguson accepted. September of that year, she began coaching and has stuck with it since.
“Motivation is the most important thing a coach can do for his/her players,” Mrs. Ferguson says.
She believes that this can be achieved by putting “fun” into practices, and having lots of team bonding activities especially during tournaments. While they were in Moose Jaw, the girls were delighted to have a spaghetti dinner and a mock fashion show. Another fun bonding activity is when a younger player is paired with the older players to find funny information out about their teammates. Also, the team went glow bowling this past weekend in Yorkton.
The girls practice three times a week, two of which are on the field working on team strategies and soccer skills and one is a conditioning practice, which includes swimming, cross-country, etc. The girls also have a tournament every weekend.
“I have become a texter and send a text to tell if a practice has been cancelled or moved” Mrs. Ferguson reveals, even though she hates admitting that as a teacher.
She believes in a three-strike policy. If a player is late or misses a practice, without notice, that’s one strike. If you’re not working hard at practice that is another strike. When it gets to three strikes she will ask the particular player to not be on the team anymore.
Out of 40 girls, 16 made the Senior A team. Whoever did not make the senior A team made the Senior B team so it did make Mrs. Ferguson’s decision easier.
“At least I know all the girls will have an opportunity to play,” she says.
Nevertheless making the decision was very hard. There were a few girls who could have very well made the A team and so Mrs. Ferguson has decided to take a couple girls from the Senior B team every weekend to the tournaments.
“I have decided to take a couple of girls from the B team to play in the tournaments and that is going to continue to act almost as a tryout and by the end of the year I will pick up 2-3 more girls from the B team to take to provincials” says Mrs. Ferguson.
“My favorite part is how the team is so close and we always have fun with each other and play so well together,” Hali Moreland, one of the players, says.
Many other players agree. They have great teamwork both on and off the field.
“I think we have a pretty good chance to win another gold provincial medal and that is our goal, we have 12 returning players that won gold and I think we are actually a bit stronger than we were last year.” Mrs. Ferguson says confidently.
Here’s good luck to all the girls wishing them all the best at this weeks tournament and many other games to follow.
