Soccer has been a part of my life since preschool, when I first took the field at the YMCA on Old Georgetown Road. I went on to play rec soccer all the way through eighth grade, including embarrassing myself in consecutive years trying out for my middle school team, while also becoming a big fan of professional soccer in the U.S. and around the world. But almost none of my many soccer experiences have been as memorable as watching the WJ boys’ and girls’ soccer teams win state championships on November 18. Seeing friends and classmates of mine who I’ve known for years, some of whom I even played with and whose parents coached me when I was younger, represent our school and win a championship at a sport I love was a unique event, a far cry from sitting in the living room, watching grown men who I’ve never met or seen before lift a trophy on another continent. By my count, I have some sort of connection, either in school or in my own playing days, with 18 of our newest state champions.

I have watched many hours of soccer on TV and in person over the years, but I’ve never felt a personal connection to a major accomplishment in the sport the way I did that night. The WJ crowd at the games was simply immense, with hundreds of students and a profusion of families, staff and alumni. It brought the school community together unlike anything I had witnessed before. I felt so proud to be a part of WJ, surrounded by friends and peers all cheering as one. It seemed like the climax of a movie, where all the characters converge at one moment and something amazing happens that changes everyone forever. I felt that I had come full circle from my first exposure to soccer years ago and completed one of the many storylines of my childhood. I am sure that it will persist as one of my fondest memories of high school for years to come, and I hope that it will do the same for others.