The Greeley West boys soccer team is off to a good start with three wins under its belt. The team is expected to be very good this season. But what makes them so good at the sport. Is it that they just have a lot of skill or is it because they train hard? 

The soccer team is one of the most culturally diverse teams at West. The Spartans have a bunch of different nationalities and languages working together.  None of that stops them from all being best friends with each other. They are with each other everyday not just on the weekdays when they have practice. Some even practice on the weekends without having to be told. This much practice makes them improve quicker than other sports teams at West. Not only that, but head Coach Marty Lordemann said that he has been putting on unofficial practices since the summer before this school year. 

The team does train a lot. When the team knows that they have a big game coming up they practice with a more serious attitude. Lordemann said, “ Days after games are more recovery and fun. Yet, this last Saturday we trained hard and seriously for three hours.” 

Goalie Tommy Roth said, “With an average of two games and four practices a week, I would say I spend around 20 hour with my team every week, sometimes more.” 

Spending over 20 hours with the same people each week makes the team grow closer. Senior Juan Ramirez said that they always are hanging out before and after games and they have even gone bowling with each other. Another player, Tito Rascon, said that he just enjoys being around the team. 

A moral to this story is that talent is not all that matters when it comes to having a sports team. Teams have to work as a unit which takes time together and a lot of practice. This team proves that you can achieve great things if you put time and effort into it.