Freshman Parker Neal tried out for for the Blue Valley girls soccer team this past month, along with many other girls hoping to make it. With high hopes of making a good team, Neal said she believes JV would be the best fit. Neal has played soccer since preschool and is playing on a competitive team outside of school.

“I really love team experiences and getting to know the team members,” Neal said. “It’s just a different bond and not just friends from school or other activities.”

Neal said her competitive team is always doing team bonding exercises. They frequently go to fitness classes together once a week and always go to team dinners before a big tournament. Team bonding is really important to Neal’s team because it really connects the teammates on and off the field.

“We’ve done gift exchanges before,” Neal said. “If there’s ever a time we are all free, we try to get together for a sleepover.”

Although her competitive team gets along great, Neal said she hasn’t always been so lucky. There have been times when her teammates have gotten into screaming fights on the field because of a hatred for each other outside of the game. Neal said that a lot of times her teammates have been able to get over an argument and let it go, which is fortunate for the team’s atmosphere.

In preparation for the new season, Neal said she’s training every single day a week with mandatory weight practices Monday, Wednesday and Fridays. However, when the season starts there will be practices every day after school.

“Right now, we are doing weights,” Neal said. “On my own time, I run for cardio every day after school.”

With the school season coming up, Neal hopes that she can show the coaches all of her talents and make a positive impact on the school’s team this year. She’s more worried about how the tryouts are going to go rather than the actual season and hopes she can improve her skills.

“I just have a love for soccer and the way I get to feel free on the field,” Neal said. “It’s always been a passion of mine.”