Goals Both On and Off the Field

The Walls girls' soccer team / Credits: Eve Rebora

Even though the girls’ soccer team came up just short of the DCIAA championships, losing 1-3 to Jackson-Reed in the championship, they had a great run. The team finished with a final record of 7-2 against DCIAA “in-league” opponents and were 11-6-2 against all competition. But wins and losses don’t fully reflect the camaraderie the team developed.

The bond that the girls have formed, on and off the field, is special. “Everyone loves each other, everyone is a family, everyone is friends,” striker Nadia Lytle (‘25) said in an interview. “This year we did a lot of team bonding which helped us become a better team and know each other better on and off the field.”

Team bonding is important for any successful team: It reduces tension, builds chemistry, and improves athletic performance while creating a sense of community. Goalkeeper Lucy Upton (‘23) described the group as “very close,” and mentioned various team-building activities she said had contributed to their “family bond.”

Upton said this is the closest the team has been in her four years at Walls. “Freshman year the team felt very divided by grade,” she said. “This year everybody was really open to making new friends so everybody got really close.” She noted that for the past couple of years covid has put a strain on the team dynamics, but this year, they were able to get past that and form a special connection.

Lytle and Upton agree that this was their best season yet. Lytle has two more seasons left on the soccer team and acknowledges the impact that losing eight seniors will have; their loss will not only affect athletic talent, but also cohesion the team has formed. The remaining players, including Lytle, hope to continue the legacy of unity that the class of 2023 is leaving behind.