By J1 Reporter Meghan Bartness 

Marian is arguably known for their sports, especially soccer. Through the years, Marian has earned fourteen state titles and six runner up titles. As fans, Marian girls know the excitement and adrenaline they get around that time, but do the players feel the same?  

From playing a sport your entire life all the way through high school can take a mental toll on you as a player.  Girls have said that once you get to high school level,  it starts to feel like a job. 

For Marian girls who already have enough on their plate, is the second job really worth it? Going from peewee soccer and having a sport grow and evolve with you is almost a lifelong commitment.

Talking to two Marian juniors, Bella DeGeorge and Allie Mohr, they have felt this pressure to perform, and feel like soccer is almost like a second job. 

Shifting between the grade school soccer to the high school level takes a toll not only on your body physically, but in your mentality. Both girls had similar statements, but Mohr’s stuck out. “High school soccer is incredibly difficult and could affect your future. It is a lot more pressure to perform.”

Both of the juniors play soccer year-round in a club team and the Marian soccer season. Since the seasons don’t overlap, they don’t necessarily affect each other. Both DeGeorge and Mohr agree that playing soccer year-round takes a considerable toll on your body. 

During the Marian season DeGeorge and Mohr practice every weekday from 3:30 to 5:30, they also have practice on Saturdays, and that’s not even mentioning afterschool and weekend games! 

Mohr said, “Playing year-round can lead to getting burned out. I love my club team, and I play that for fun, but high school is way more stressful and less fun.”

Going from the grade school level to the high school level also comes with a whole new area of pressure. DeGeorge says “There is a higher competition and there are lots of girls that are better than you, so you feel pressured to work harder.”

“You have to perform, because it’s not just your parents that watch you anymore,” Mohr said. “There could be a bunch of other people that you are representing by playing for Marian.”

The girls agreed that you have to love the sport and the people to be able to play soccer almost every day the whole year and still be engaged with it. Mohr says, “You have to love it because if you don’t, it’s a drag and a waste of your time.”

Being a part of the Marian community, even if you’re not on the field, you can still go and support in the stands. Mohr and DeGeorge agree, “They are sharp and loud, it keeps us excited because we want to perform and give you guys something to cheer about.”

Both DeGeorge and Mohr make sure that they work hard, don’t give up and stay determined. “If things don’t go your way, work harder to prove that you deserve to be there.”