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Norton's girls' soccer team poses for a team photo in the gym. (Photo credit: Ellis Evans)

Girls’ soccer coaches Jose Hernandez and Kendrah Wagenhoffer aim to build a stronger team and community amongst the girls soccer team this season by challenging their student athletes and fostering a supportive environment.

“I coach because I want to keep kids out of trouble,” Hernandez said. “You, as a coach, are doing everything to help students better themselves. Not only are they getting prepared for soccer, but they are getting prepared for the challenges of the real world.”

Girls’ soccer team members also emphasized the importance of athletic betterment and community building on the team.

“Soccer is an interest I found when I was younger when I joined a soccer club.” sophomore Toochi Samsylvanus (‘27) said. “I am returning to that old spark I had for soccer. I hope to improve myself and have fun.”

“It is fun being active and working out, especially with a friend or team member because you are making memories at the same time,” junior Emeli Barcenes (‘26) said. “My goals for this year are to have more wins compared to last year, make memories with the new girls on the team, and have fun.”

That athletic and mental preparation is already underway for the soccer season. Every Tuesday and Thursday the girls soccer team meets at Norton’s field for practice. The team begins by hydrating, stretching, and running one lap. After that first lap, the team grabs soccer balls and practices keeping the ball in front of them as they run. Once they complete their warm-up, the team have a quick, five minute break to cool off, and chat with their friends. Then, Hernandez organizes the team into two separate lines for their final, most intensive warm-up–lateral shuffling (which, to an outside observer, may look like side hopping).

The team begins by sprinting across the width of the field for a couple repetitions. They then line up again and practice lateral shuffling across their designated area, returning to the beginning of their line, and doing it again. The girls stretch one last time, then huddle around Hernandez before practicing more in-depth, targeted soccer skills for each player’s position.

The team faces their first two games of the season this week against Entrepreneur High School in Highland and Fontana.

Hernandez emphasized, though, that regardless of the outcome of the games, the real value of the team is building an athletics culture that will improve over time, giving more and more opportunities to student athletes as the school grows.

“You learn from your mistakes,” Hernandez said. “And that only makes you better. I’ve been coaching since my daughter was six. Now she’s 15. I started as a ‘voluntold’ coach doing Sunday League that stepped up to coach because no one else did, and then I slowly moved into club soccer. After I went into education, they needed soccer coaches, too, so I jumped into that. I played soccer growing up, but I was never able to play on a club or high school team. I really wanted my daughter and all my student athletes to have those opportunities that I did not have.”