The JV Girls Soccer Team at practice.

It’s 2:30 p.m. on the practice field at Princess Anne High School. Like every school day since the beginning of the spring season, it’s time for the JV girls soccer team to begin practice. Wearing training shirts and shorts, equipped with their soccer cleats to play on the practice field, the 12 girls on the team are ready to play. The team’s practice is under the attentive eye of Coach Diane Kinka, who has been coaching the PA team for six years now. 

The girls start with a warm-up punctuated by stretches, an essential part of their routine. Kinka described the importance of the preparation, saying, “We want to make sure that we don’t have any injuries.” Then, simple foot drills follow, where they practice the precision of their shots and improve technique. Next, the real fun begins for the girls, with practice games and a full scrimmage allowing for teamwork, communication and skill development. “I like the practice games we do; they’re always super fun,” said first-year midfielder, sophomore Petronille Roblot.

For the new season, Coach Kinka has clear goals in mind: “I want to improve our footwork, teamwork, communication and obviously to win…It’s also important to prepare them to move up to the Varsity team.” She explains she strives to create a supportive environment where girls can have fun while improving themselves. 

All the girls on the team agree that the team’s atmosphere is a lot of fun and that their cohesion is very strong. “It’s a really, really good group of girls…I like working with the team and the chemistry we have,” said freshman Kennedy Williams, who is co-captain of the team and plays midfield.

For second-year captain and right defender, sophomore Maddy Dennis, her favorite part of JV girls soccer is enjoying time with teammates. “It’s just a lot of fun to be all together,” she said.

According to some of its players, the team does an excellent job in motivating and encouraging each other. “We are very energetic…When we score, we all congratulate each other,” explained Williams. “We always encourage everyone,” Roblot added. “It’s really motivating and helps us to never give up.” Roblot explains the players know that they will always be supported by their teammates in every situation, and can count on others. 

Kinka says she also wants the best for the girls. She mentioned some of her techniques for motivating the team, saying, “I’m really big on positive reinforcement. Also big on team spirit and team bonding.” In her opinion, if a team can bond, they usually come together on the field as well. “I also try to encourage all of the players, especially the ones that do play at a higher level, to help motivate and coach the other girls.” 

Besides their many successes, some obstacles the team faces are time management, and activities or other commitments the girls are doing outside soccer. “It’s all about time management,” Williams commented. “When I get home from soccer practice, I just try to get into homework so that I can finish early and get some sleep.” Dennis agreed, saying “When you have empty time, you can do your homework…If you really need to do something important, the coaches are okay to let you do what you need to do.” 

Kinka also notices how other commitments can be an obstacle, such as when “girls…are involved in other activities or appointments, and when we have low numbers at practice, it makes it difficult sometimes to run some of the drills that I do.”  

The three girls shared some exercises that help them improve while playing on the field. Dennis explained that for her it’s “probably during touches against the walls.” For Williams, it’s mental and physical training: “Mentally, before games, I just try to kind of focus on myself by sometimes listening to music. Physically, I do a good warmup before games, stretching, all of that.” Roblot explains she likes the exercises made by the coach: “When we do game practices with a team of two, it really helps me improve and train myself for real games.” 

Kinka says that she really likes coaching the JV soccer girls team. “I just love being with the girls and seeing them enjoying soccer, having a good season, [and] making progress.” She also likes how the more experienced girls encourage and help out the less experienced players on the team: “They all have been working well with new players.”

Overall, from the essential warm-ups at the beginning of practice, to scrimmages at the end, each moment together has been filled with fun, laughter, encouragement, and passion for soccer. So far, they have impressed many with wins against Cox, Kempsville, and Ocean Lakes. Between practice and games, one thing has been noticeable: their determination to succeed this spring season.