Women’s Athletics Interviews, by Brianna Badley

Women’s Soccer: Captains

I sat down with Angela Wissmar and Genevieve Keckemet, co-captains of women’s soccer. I asked them both several questions so we could know more about their team and how they work. First, I asked them how they felt about the team they have this year. They felt good about the team, especially when it came to passing and returning. Then, I asked them about where they thought they made progress over the season. They said that they made a lot of progress with passing and creating more shots on goal. Soccer is a pretty aggressive contact sport and the players tend to get injured. Common injuries that the team faced were mostly ankle injuries: Angela recently broke her toe, Lauren had internal bruising, and Michelle (the keeper) thought she had a concussion for the second time. When injuries happen, the team usually has players ice it, wrap it, stretch, then give it time to heal.

In most sports, everyone disagrees with the referees. For example, Angela got a yellow card for a foul she didn’t cause. But, you have to work around what the refs say (and remember, Angela is always right).

For the last question, I asked who their most spirited team member was. They didn’t answer who was the most spirited, but they did say this: Megan Burnett is the most crazy, Lauren makes everyone laugh, and Taylor is the most passionate player.

I interviewed another soccer player, Megan Burnett (A.K.A. the crazy one) and asked her three questions. I asked her why she chose soccer. She said that she enjoys player soccer and making friends. Plus, she is very good. Next, I asked if it’s hard to balance soccer and school work. She said it kinda was and that you just have to be good at multi-tasking. The last question I asked was if she likes the new uniforms. She said she really likes and that they’re much better than the old ones.

 

Women’s Volleyball: Co-Captain

I interviewed Tiffany Tran, the co-captain of women’s volleyball. I asked her the same questions I asked Angela and Genevieve. This season, Tiffany felt that the team got closer and got along with each other better. They do what needs to be done as a team. The progress they made over the season was mostly with their positive technique changes, but by working as a team overall. You mostly use your arms and hands in volleyball, so it didn’t surprise me when Tiffany told me that they deal with arm, hand, shoulder, and finger injuries. What did surprise me was hearing about popped fingers! Mostly, they tape up the injuries and ice them. Close calls can happen a lot in volleyball, and most games the referees make good calls. Some can be rude other times, but Tiffany has her own opinion on the referees. I asked Tiffany who she thought is the most spirited team member, and without hesitation she said Alexa.

I interviewed another volleyball player Angel Cucio (A.K.A. Sparky) and asked her the same questions I asked Megan. Angel plays volleyball because she’s played for seven years, she’s always loved, and she’s really good. Angel says it is very hard to balance her school work and volleyball, especially when the have games and don’t get back until around 10:30 at night. Angel says she loves the new uniforms because her’s is pink and green and she likes to stand out.

Cheerleading: Co-Captain

I interviewed Tiffany Tran again, but this time because she’s the co-captain of the cheerleaders. I asked her most of the same questions as the other captains, plus a few extras. Tiffany felt pretty good about the team this year. They’re getting everything done and learning quickly. The cheerleading squad made most of their progress during summer camp, where it was their first time as a team. Most of the cheerleaders do other sports, mainly soccer and volleyball, where they get most of their injuries from. To get over the injuries, they don’t overdo things and go to the doctor so they can clear them for cheerleading. I asked Tiffany who the most spirited team member is, which is a hard question to answer considering they’re cheerleaders! All she said was that Maddie Fairchild stood out the most. For my last question I asked something I’ve always wondered about: how many posters do they cheerleaders make in a year for the school? Tiffany’s answer surprised me: they make from 80 to 90 posters! Wow!

I interviewed Maddie Fairchild, one of the cheerleaders, and asked her about cheer. She does it because she’s been doing it since she was young. She finds it hard to balance school with cheerleading, but the key is time management. The cheerleaders got new uniforms this year, so I asked Maddie if she likes them. She doesn’t; she loves them! She says they look really good, maybe even better than the old ones.