Central is filled with many types of sports that are open to all students. One that continues to impress us by their hard work is the soccer team. They train and are together almost every single day, but the only time that we get to see them in action is on the field. What goes on during training? What goes on outside the field? What do these athletes face every single day? I broke down the obstacles the team faces and how through it all, they stick together.

Coach Schwarzrock does all he can do to build his team up and we get to see a glimpse of how the soccer team is viewed through the coach’s eyes. As a head coach, a lot of stress can come upon your shoulders and you face many responsibilities, but his main objective is: “Discipline towards athletics will be the same towards as academics, and I hope they understand, that is my goal.”  In addition, it is to teach the team traits that will help them outside the field and in a classroom.

What do you feel are your responsibilities as the coach of this team?

“To turn these gentlemen into citizens. I want them to be student-athletes and understand the value of working as a group and become a high-performance group. I want them to understand that together they can achieve things beyond their expectations but only if they work together and see the value of teamwork and gamesmanship and most importantly see the value of athletics and how it supports academics…Wins and losses are secondary – it’s the development and character that is first.”   –Coach Schwarzrock, CLC Varsity Head Soccer Coach

Many responsibilities come upon the coach, but it also lands on the team; the team has to work together and train constantly. The team seems to be supportive of one another and are very committed as I sat down with one of the captains and another player and got their view on how they work:

How has the season been going for the team?

“It’s going pretty good this season. I like how everyone is getting along, yet I know we can do better.  We have most of the same players as last year, but we did lose a few players. Overall, the chemistry is still good on the field.”  -Jairo Aguilar, Varsity Co-Captain

What has been the biggest win for the team this year?

“The biggest win wasn’t an actual win but how we grew as a team and became better than when we started. In the beginning, we were seen as underdogs and didn’t have the best start, but with time, we grew and then started tying at games that eventually became wins.”    -Frankie Salinas, JV player 

Upon all the challenges and tasks that this team faces, they always find a way to keep playing, stick together, and play their best the whole season. They demonstrate real sportsmanship and integrity for the game.