Lizzy Bonifield is a journalism student at Gilbert Christian High School assigned to cover high school sports for AZPreps365.com

This season has already been dramatically affected by COVID-19. There are both good and bad things that have come out of this virus.

Sarah Johnson has been playing soccer since she was just three years old. “I’m passionate about soccer because I love the sport, I love the physicality and energy both the team and the sport has,” Johnson said. She has grown so much throughout the years she has played and is now a senior and captain of the Gilbert Christian Girls Soccer High School Team. She has played for our school all four years of high school.

Soccer has benefitted Sarah in many ways throughout her years of playing. The sport has brought her many close friends and has taught her time management skills, as well as good nutrition and health. Regardless of soccer, Johnson plans to attend Colorado Christian University for nursing. She would love to have the opportunity to play in college and is attending soccer tryouts in June of this year. 

Starting off this season with more incoming freshmen than any other previous years, Johnson can see the talent and potential in these girls. The team has had a good turn out with players and great relationships within the team. 

COVID-19 has definitely made all sports this year more difficult and different in many ways. “We are very close as a team, with lots of close friendships although COVID-19 has made it harder to spend time doing team bonding as we usually do,” Johnson said. It has been harder for the team to bond this year over others because it’s harder to go out as a big group outside of practice and the games due to the virus protocols.

                                                                                                   Sarah with fellow seniors from the Gilbert Christian Girls Soccer Team

 

Our girls' team has played four games so far this season and has won three of them. This year has been way different during games while having to play with masks and only having a small amount of spectators allowed. “We have strong players and great coaches who push us to be the best we can,” she said. The team is looking at the positive side and is grateful for the chance to be playing this year.