Last Wednesday was a regular day for some, but it was a game day for the school’s varsity boys soccer center back Kai Lewin (11). He was up and ready to tackle the day at 6:30 a.m.
The morning was not rushed; it was intentional as he prepared for both school and competition. Lewin took a shower, and then moved into stretching and foamrolling to make sure his muscles were loose, a step to prevent injury. He also made time for a healthy and balanced breakfast.
“I had some eggs and some protein so I wouldn’t be tired later in the day,” Lewin said.
Once on campus, Lewin stayed focused, paying attention in class and limiting distractions. When school let out, Lewin spent time with his teammates and shared a lunch to discuss the upcoming match.
“My teammate [and I] went to CAVA before the game,” Lewin said.
As the afternoon arrived, Lewin shifted into a calmer phase of his routine. He revisited stretching and did schoolwork prior to the game to minimize distractions later on.
At 4:30 p.m. it was time to head to the match. The team gathered at the school, ready to board the bus.
“The bus ride is fun, playing music and getting into the game mindset,” Lewin said.
The team was a bit behind on schedule.
“We didn’t get there until 10 minutes before kickoff,” varsity boys soccer head coach Francisco Lona said. “Traffic was definitely not working in our favor.”
Upon arrival at Point Loma High School, the team began a series of dynamic stretches, followed by possession-based scrimmages to fall into rhythm.
“We got in our warm up lines, played some scrimmage games and then huddled up with the team,” Lewin said.
The referee gave them a few spare minutes to compensate for their tardiness.
Before kickoff, the team gathered for their usual team ritual. The coach gave a quick motivational talk and prayer, reinforcing that the team needed unity.
Goalkeeper Jacob Harrison (10) started the game off a bit differently.
“I went off to meet for a keeper’s talk,” Harrison said. “We talked about kind of how the games are going to go and key stuff to focus on.”
The first half started off rocky as the team played a tough game the day prior against the Mission Hills Grizzlies winning 5-1.
“We had a good warm up but, you know, there were definitely some tired legs out there in the first half,” Lona said. “We didn’t play quite as well as we could have.”
Despite the first difficult start, the team maintained a positive outlook.
“I was just staying positive and [had] no negative self-talk to keep myself and the team going strong,” Harrison said.
After some tactical changes that Lona made at halftime, the game started to turn in their favor.
“[The] guys came in with a lot more adrenaline, you know,” Lona said. “We had a good half-time pep talk and then after that, we were able to put up four goals.”
The second half gave them the spark they were searching for, and they defeated the Pointers 4-0.
Following their victory, the team took a bus ride home and ended the night at a teammate’s house to celebrate.
“The day was about building camaraderie and filling the family feeling at the end of the day,” Lona said.
