El Rancho High School recently announced the new sports captains for the fall semester at the sports rally in August, establishing a new era of leaders to kick off the school year.
Captains play an important role in sports by leading their teams on and off the field, serving as role models to the players, and representing the coaches and teammates simultaneously.
Our captains for this season represent six different sports – Boys’ Water Polo, Boys’ and Girls’ Cross Country, Football, Girls’ Golf, Girls’ Tennis, and Girls’ Volleyball. These individuals will face many challenges over the next semester: maintaining a structured team environment all while balancing their leadership with personal performance among other things.
Boys’ Water Polo head coach Marissa Lopez says, “I feel as though the role of captain is very important because they help lead the team during practice and games. They not only helped their peers out, but during tough times they give their whole team the words of inspiration and techniques that can help bring the group together and move forward.”
Lopez’s captains Robert Robles and Sebastian Arias were chosen because they have a great understanding of the sport they are a part of and they exhibited leadership regardless of the team morale.
Despite the challenges, the coaches and teammates have faith in our captains and believe in their ability to lead us to a good fall season this year.
Several football players commented on the qualities of their captains Eric Cortes and Julian Acero, showing respect for their dedication to the team and the sport.
One teammate said “He’s just a dog on the field, he works hard,” about Acero, and another commented, “Cortes shows up to everything, he’s reliable, he cares about the team, he wants to win.” These two were voted to be captains by their teammates who saw their potential and influence.
Not every moment can be a good one though; at the most recent varsity football game, our players endured intense heat and a handful suffered injuries. However, they believe and the captains reinforce that success and growth aren’t possible without failure and challenge and these setbacks only encourage them to work harder for the upcoming games.
This applies to more than just football; all sports face challenges, but they are overcome by the captains, players, and coaches.
Through the resilience of our sports teams, students at El Rancho can learn that trials and tribulations are a part of the journey, and all it takes is perseverance and resilience to overcome them.
Regardless of the outcome, the athletes of El Rancho High are eager for the excitement of this year’s fall season, working hard with their captains to inspire their peers and leave a lasting impact on our school for future athletes.
