Players sprint from box to box shouts echo across the field and tackles fly left and right. Before anyone knows it, junior Nate Lockwood’s left-footed shot puts the boys varsity soccer team on the board.
In addition to playing soccer, Lockwood plays on the boys varsity rugby team and the boys varsity basketball team. Lockwood played on the junior varsity soccer team last year and has been facing the challenges of moving up to varsity this year.
According to Lockwood, balancing sports with school is tough, but it can be overcome with enough persistence.
“I think just using your free blocks and time management. You can’t procrastinate too much. When you get home from a sports practice, you have to immediately start doing work and really focus on what you have to do. It’s tough at times,” Lockwood said.
Despite the stress of balancing school with soccer while simultaneously facing the challenges of moving up to varsity, Lockwood said the team’s supportive and encouraging environment has allowed him to grow into his role and contribute to the team’s positive culture.
“Varsity can be intimidating at times because you don’t know a lot of the older players. I think it’s really important that they were very supportive and [that] they were always encouraging me to take chances,” Lockwood said. “They were always there to raise me up.”
Junior Jack Fitzgerald has been playing soccer with Lockwood since they were in middle school. Fitzgerald said that Lockwood helps contribute to the caring community and culture of the team. He never gets mad at peers and is a great teammate to play soccer with, according to Fitzgerald.
Boys varsity soccer head coach Kyle Beaulieu-Jones said that Lockwood is a positive addition to the team.
“I think the group is really close, and Nate is a big part of that. [He] brings players together and is a good teammate and individual all around,” Beaulieu-Jones said.
With a team-oriented sport such as soccer, teamwork and a positive community is crucial. According to Fitzgerald, Lockwood always remains kind and encouraging to teammates.
“He’s always supportive towards the players, even when they make mistakes. If they make a wrong decision, he won’t yell at you or tell you to do something different. He’ll help you understand, which is a great quality,” Fitzgerald said.
Beaulieu-Jones said that Lockwood has managed to rise to find his place on the team as he continues to increase in competence and confidence.
“Nate has an incredible work rate. He can really work for an entire game [and] will do any assignment or task you ask him to do on the field. He’s grown in his confidence, and playing time has really increased for him,” Beaulieu-Jones said. “He continues to work hard and really impresses us.”
Despite having a season beset with injuries, Beaulieu-Jones said that Lockwood and the team have worked hard to remain positive and competitive, although losing many players was tough to overcome. The closeness of the group has helped the team overcome adversity and continue to push forward towards playoffs.
“This year, we have a really close-knit group. There are not really arguments or feuds between players; we’re almost like a little family,” Lockwood said. “[We] are there and in it for each other and want to see everyone else succeed.”
