The Sheridan Broncs boys soccer kicked off their season at the first practice on March 5, 2018. The boys are under a new coaching staff with Scott Soderstrom as the head coach. The boys are standing at six wins, six losses, and two ties in their season. They look to wrap up their season at the regional tournament in Gillette, Wyo. on May 9, 2018, and then the state tournament in Jackson, Wyo. on May 16, 2018.

  Soderstrom took the reins on the soccer team for the 2018 season after former head coach Matt Johnson resigned. He created competitive athletes to make sure there was a strong finish for the rest of their season. “My biggest goal is to have every single player compete in every rep of every practice and every game,” said Soderstrom. Having his athletes get every rep that they can help them to create their mental toughness in ways that would not be as easy any other way. Soderstrom is excited to see what the rest of the season holds for him and his team.

  Seniors play a hefty leadership role in all sports, and with about ten seniors on the team this season, there are a lot of places for leaders to step up. “Our seniors are huge,” said Soderstrom. “We have great leaders. A lot of them have a lot of varsity experience in soccer and other sports, and it helps me out because they are a great buffer between the young guys and myself.” Senior midfield and striker Aaron Sessions enjoys the competitive spirit of soccer because it makes him a better person, mentally, physically and emotionally. Sessions, along with the other seniors, help out the younger athletes during practice and games to make sure everyone is where they need to be on the field.

  Beginning the 2018 season, the Broncs started off somewhat slow, but they are working on finishing stronger and refining the big issues before the small issues. “We’re doing well; we just need to finish games better,” said Sessions. Soderstrom plans to work on improvements for every aspect before working on the smaller aspects for the rest of the season. Fixing the big things before the small things will allow the boys to prepare for what they need to improve later in the season, and it will create a lasting mental toughness in each athlete.

  Communication throughout the team is an essential part of athletics for coaches and players alike. The new coaching staff has played sports since they were in high school, so having common ground in sports contributes to communication and relating. “The crew of kids we have are a lot like myself when I was a player,” said Soderstrom. “A lot of them I do relate to, but a few of them, you have to find common ground. Just having a common interest and being able to communicate with each other is huge.” The coaches worked hard to keep the line of communication open for their players to create better relationships throughout the season.

  Sheridan soccer came a long way to be settled with the new aspects of this season. The boys and the coaching staff are working hard, mentally and physically, for the remainder of their season. “We do have an advantage that we are mentally tough and we compete,” said Soderstrom. “These guys know how to win, and I think we’re going to ride that pony as long as we can.”