As speaker and best-selling author Steve Maraboli once said, “A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal.” A wound the Xavier High School girls’ and boys’ soccer teams had to go through was missing out on their seasons last year, but the compassion that helped heal this wound was the generosity of the Xavier Booster Club (XBC). Their generosity included donating portable goals to both programs in the 2019-2020 season, amongst additional soccer gear like a soccer bag and new soccer balls.
Without last year's seasons, the goals are being taken advantage of more than ever this year in practices.
The girls’ soccer head coach Chris Higgins said, “Portable goals are fantastic for adding variation to training. We can achieve a lot more out of every training session doing small sided game specific activities, which would otherwise not be possible.”
Not only are the goals beneficial for training, but they include a safety factor as well.
“From a safety aspect, they also keep the players and staff from moving the competition goals, which are very bulky,” Higgins said.
With these training and safety factors present in this donation, the boys’ and girls’ soccer players, especially this year’s seniors, are truly grateful.
“It means a lot to our team to receive donations from the XBC. It shows us that our team and the hard work we put in during practice is appreciated and supported,” senior captain Carter Diebold said.
Senior captain for the girls’ team Karly Weiss added, “These donations from the XBC are not only greatly appreciated by myself and my teammates because of the new opportunities and efficiency we have been awarded at practice but also because of the constant support from Xavier. We were really bummed about last year’s season not happening and this donation feels like a little token from Xavier to let us know that they are all rooting for us this season.”
The girls’ team are the defending 2019 2A state champions and these extra donations of the portable goal along with a 24 pack soccer ball bag are helping them even more on their journey to keep that title.
“My goal for this season is for our team to make it back to the state tournament and be able to compete for another state title,” senior captain and Division I Tennessee Tech commit Maggie Conrad said. “With losing so many players that were on the state championship team, I am hoping that the new players will be able to step up and fill those roles.”
In 2019, the boys’ dream of winning that state title slipped through their fingers in the championship game, but this year’s senior captain Ren Schroud and his fellow teammates are ready to put everything they have on the line to get the title.
“This season means everything to me and the other seniors. We all want that championship trophy more than any other team. I’ve known all these guys for years so it’s really special to be spending my last year with my best friends playing the game I’ve invested so much of my time into,” Schroud said. “Our team’s goal is to win state. Everyone is hungry and we all remember our championship loss and it’s going to fuel us for the whole season.”
The boys’ and girls’ soccer programs are the most successful in the state, combining for 17 state titles. Boys’ soccer head coach Amir Hadzic commented that the XBC has played such a crucial role in this success, donating funds to their programs every year.
The Xavier Booster Club’s donations to the girls’ and boys’ soccer programs are adding to the talent, passion, and motivation these teams have to bring home championship titles this year. Their generosity continues to heal the wound.
For more information on the Xavier Booster Club and how you can be involved visit www.xaviersaints.org/xbc