The Ladue girls’ varsity soccer team took its talents to Kansas City Apr. 21. The team participates in this tournament every year to improve its skills and compete with other teams within the state. While competing in this out-of-town tournament, the team played in three tough games, pulling out two victories.

Although there are no seniors on the team this year, Ladue has been competitive with tough teams all season. The weekend in Kansas City was a chance for the squad to prove its skills against stiff competition.

The girl’s team held Notre Dame De Sion, the 31st-ranked team in the nation, at 0-0 after 100 minutes of grueling play. However, De Sion won in penalty kicks. On Saturday morning the soccer team played Belton High School and won 5-0.  Later that afternoon, Ladue played against Bishop Miege. The Rams won that contest 1-0 in overtime.

“If we play with intensity and confidence, we [can] match up with any team that comes our way,” sophomore Jillian Mann said.

The team’s success is largely because of its strong team chemistry. Frequent team bonding activities led to players strengthening their friendships.

“We are a family and tell each other everything,” junior Sarah Cook said. “We have chemistry on the field and love each other off the field.”

Winning and losing with a team creates a family atmosphere within the girls. These experiences can teach athletes the importance of teamwork when working toward ambitious goals.
“I have learned to play for the girl standing next to me,” Mann said. “[I have also learned] to put all my effort in for my team, to play for each other to achieve our goals.”