Freshmen Raiders who made the NHS soccer team play for different reasons.

“My motivation to play soccer is happiness,” Christian Chavez said. “If you love and enjoy it, why not do it?”

Playing soccer affects the players’ lives in so many positive ways.

“When I step on the soccer field, it takes all of my problems away,” Marco Picazo said.

Oved Lopez agrees.

“Whenever I am sad, depressed, etc., I play soccer, and it all goes away,” Oved said. “I just have fun with the ball. Also, I am motivated to play because a lot of people say that I have a future ahead of me in soccer.”

The players hope to have a successful season.

“What I look forward to is helping my team win every single game because I don’t like losing,” Joel Guerra said.

These athletes love when there is always that second hand there to help them.

“I like to make my dad proud of me,” Kris Sengmanivong said.

Despite loving the sport, these Raiders realize soccer is time consuming.

“Soccer takes up most of my day, but on the bright side, I get to meet new friends,” Cassandra Cervantes said.

Like the boys, the girls have goals and are motivated by family.

“I look forward to going up against Southside because they’re Northside’s rival,” Jovanna Centeno said. “My family motivates me to play because it’s something that we all share.”