Soccer Girls’ soccer had a record of 7-10-2 this season and made it to Round 2 of the County Tournament. Family is clearly a driving force behind this team, as all four of them cited it as an inspiration to even start playing. Captain Phoebe Wintz said, “When I was really little, I would always go to [my brother’s] games and like, be on the sidelines with my parents.” Captain Ava Hartle stated how “holding each other accountable” was a theme for the team this year. She noted, “Not only will it make the team better, but you’ll be better yourself”. It clearly worked, because as the season progressed, the girls’ record improved drastically. Another thing that most likely contributed to their success on the field would be their various pre-game rituals. The girls mentioned that they do a chant on their way to “put a smile on everyone’s face.” Additionally, Mr. Panfile would ring a bell at every home game in order to “get everyone in the right mindset for the game”. Even though the girls’ record is nothing to be ashamed of, Ava made a point to say that it “doesn’t define [their team], at all”. This definitely rings true, as what truly matters is not a team’s win-to-loss ratio. What actually defines a team is their camaraderie and support for one another.
Girls’ Cross country had a great season, as they not only made it to Groups but had 2 girls– Lindsay Portland and Kate Shaw–move on individually to the Meet of Champions. This is incredibly impressive because the varsity team had not one, but two first-year senior runners. When asked about why they joined, both Ali Christensen and Ella Hecker cited that it was due to their track performance and a desire to switch it up during fall sports season. Ella specifically noted that she enjoyed that determining your spot on the team was objective. “You either get the time or you don’t, and you can’t go around that.” Cross Country is one of the most mental sports out there, so having that internal drive is imperative to your performance. When asked about what keeps her motivated, Ali said that it helps her to just “be grateful for the opportunities I have to run with my friends.” She noted, “I know that I’m not going to be able to do this again.” Because she is a senior, she felt the need to truly leave all of her efforts out on the course. Friendship was clearly a theme for this team, similar to Volleyball. Simply talking to them you can feel the bonds that they made with one another. Kate said, “We’ve been close, but we’ve never been, like, this close. Like, I feel like some of these girls are some of my best friends.” She also added that this kind of camaraderie allows them to “have fun at practice while still working hard.” Because this group of girls is so close to one another, not only does coming to practice every day become that much more enjoyable, but every member of the team is motivated to put out their best performance possible. Kate said, “I feel like it helps keep me motivated because I know that like, all the work I’m putting in is also helping the rest of my team.” With the level of athleticism and chemistry, this team contains, it is truly no wonder how their season went the way that it did.
Volleyball also had a successful season, as they ended a record of 18-7 and made it all the way to the final round of the NJSIAA Tournament. Additionally, at the time they were being interviewed (11/11), they were the only fall sport still competing as a team. These girls might not have seen it for themselves at the start of the season, but their stellar season was inevitable, especially when you take into account the camaraderie the team has with one another. As for this team, the bond that the girls have is undeniable. Within seconds of the interview, both captains Avery and Cat Pisani were already saying how much they loved the girls. Cat said, “We all just form such good bonds with everyone, and it makes it so fun to play in general. Like, I love it.” This friendship doesn’t only take place on the court. Cat added, “After school, we’d go home, hang out at each other’s houses. We’ve done, like, haunted houses, movie nights, and that’s like, really fun.” The love that the girls have for each other also leads them to perform better in their matches. Avery said, “We had to take ourselves out of the equation. We’re like, playing for a team, like the greater good. So even if you are off, you have to push through to help your team. So, I think that’s the big thing.” This kind of philosophy is what team sports are truly about. Tennis Girls’ tennis had an extremely successful record of 12-4, and made it to the final round of state championships. Because tennis tends to be a more individual sport, tensions between teammates were mostly at a minimum. However, this was not the case for the entire season. In the beginning, when there were tryouts for varsity and making the team in general, competition for spots was at an all-time high. Once the dust settled and the matches began, the girls were all back to supporting and encouraging one another. Maya Gieszczynski commented, “Especially when you’re the last person on the court, or last person playing, everyone cheers for you. All the adults as well.” In tennis, as the amount of cheering increases, the pressure does as well, but at an even steeper rate. When asked how she pushes through this pressure, Maya said, “I try not to focus on the people out, watching me, and focus on what I’m doing wrong, what I’m doing right, and just focusing on the match itself.” Riley turned towards Maya, and after giggling, she added, “She’ll just randomly say random words on the court. I do the same thing, though.” Usually, Maya would say words of affirmation in order to maintain confidence during a match. She said, “Even if I lost a point or even if I didn’t do so well in a game, I’m like, ‘You’re doing well, keep it up.’” This method clearly works, as Maya is currently the 2nd best Second Singles player in Morris County. When asked about what her favorite moment of tennis was, Riley simply said, “The memories I’ve made, and the friendships I’ve made.” This really speaks to the core values of the team. Although winning matches and moving up the ranks is something to be proud of, the people you get to know and the experiences you have are more priceless than any trophy.
Field hockey had a record of 7-8-2 this season, and made it to Round 2 of the County Tournament. Even though they might not have been victorious at the Group Tournament, the girls shined more in their attitude towards the game. When the team is about to go against a tough team such as Chatham or Central, they do “Pump-Up Letters”. Captain Lily Chandler explained, “Each person will be assigned to someone on their team and you like, write them a letter with positivity”. They also do what’s called “Superhero of the Game”, where one player after each game gets a cape if the team feels that they did especially well. Little things such as these are what truly build team chemistry. Not only does this make the season a better experience overall, but it also positively impacts their performance. Captain Sienna Santomo mentioned how trust is a key aspect of their team’s improvement. “We did have a rocky start, but we just got so much better working with each other, trusting, like yourself individually and like, your team. And I think that just like, helped so much.” The “rocky start” might have been due to the loss of 14 seniors on their team, as Lily noted. However, the new sophomores to join varsity–Kenleigh Wishert, Ella Garrison, Anvi Dhamane, and Kaleigh Peruyero–pulled their weight. The captains also mentioned that their coaches were another reason for their success. “They push you, but in the right way”, said Sienna. Lily shouted out a senior from last year who got a scholarship to Brown for her abilities. “Just like being on a team with girls that are like that just makes it more competitive and more fun.” Learning all of the unique ways this team encourages one another made it incredibly clear that these girls have so much love for one another.
Through interviewing these different girls across different sports, it became clear that the relationship between the girls greatly influenced their performance. A team could have amazing players individually, but if they don’t trust each other, fail to keep each other accountable, or simply hold resentment for one another, there’s no real chance of victory. It was a pleasure to hear that this is far from an issue with the girls’ teams of Mendham. Each and every one of these teams should be proud of themselves—not just for their athletic accomplishments, but for their demonstration of sisterhood.
