What is an athlete without an athletic season? That is the question COVID-19 posed to many sports and athletic events around the world as it mercilessly shut them down in spring of 2020. Almost a year later, at IHS, school sports have managed to occur, though playing is impinged by necessary precautions such as distancing and wearing masks. Luke Vandermark ‘23, who plays Junior Varsity (JV) Soccer, is an IHS athlete who is well-equipped to discuss the changes to his sport during a pandemic. Soccer is a big part of Luke’s life: it has brought many friends into his life and created many lasting memories with family and friends. Soccer has brought Luke joy, ever since the age of two. He wasn’t going to let something as ineffectual as a pandemic stop him. Supported by his parents and older brother, Luke plans to continue to progress in soccer and overcome any obstacles along the way.
Aya Oulida ‘23: Explain the basic rules of soccer.
Luke Vandermark ‘23: The rules of soccer are exceedingly simple. Your goal is to try to outmaneuver the team and get the ball into the back of your opponents net by passing the ball up or down the field.
AO: What do you like most about Soccer?
LV: I love how soccer gives me a chance to unwind and take a step back to just collect myself after a long and hard day. Soccer has brought me so many lifelong friendships with people in my community. When I’m playing nothing runs through my mind so I have time to focus on the next plays and I’m able to have a good time.
AO: Why do you play soccer?
LV: I grew up playing soccer so for me it has always been there. I enjoy playing with my friends and how soccer lets me feel free and have a clear focused mindset.
AO: How long have you been playing soccer?
LV: I’ve been playing soccer since I was two, so around 13-14 years. I have an older brother, Ethan Vandermark, who played soccer. I was able to watch him play and learn from him.
AO: What are two traits a leader should have or develop?
LV: The most important trait a leader should have is definitely to be a role model, being able to always keep right minded thoughts off and on the field. If you have a leader who isn’t good at what they are doing, it will be hard to learn and follow after them. A leader should be skilled. A leader needs to be able to teach other teammates. Maintaining good academic performance is also another important trait, because if you have a leader who is focused in school and attends classes, they will be able to play their sport and be a good leader without missing any practices or games.
AO: What are some traits that a teammate should have?
LV: Teammates should be able to be coached, It’s going to be hard to have a teammate who is ignorant. Bonding with your team is very important, a teammate should be part of a team because in order to play well you need to have good chemistry. Teammates should be able to support each other and not neglect others opinions on how to play. Another important trait is having a teammate who knows their role and what they have to do on the field. You have to remember that when you’re playing your position regardless of your feelings on the position you have to remember that you are part of the mechanical machine that is working the team.
AO: What are some traits a Coach should have?
LV: A coach has to be a good role model; they should know you on and off the field. They have to make sure that you’re caught up on your academics and be able to help out the ones who are struggling and succeeding but not just in soccer. Experience, you have to be able to understand the sport and know how to polish up your athletes. You have to know what drills and warm-ups are going to work. Having a relatable coach or a coach that can empathize with the team is very important. If an athlete is having troubles and they can’t come to a practice the coach should be able to understand the situation the athlete is in.
AO: How has your sport influenced who you are today?
LV: Soccer has helped shape me into a more amiable person. I’m able to make more friends because I can relate to people who love their sport. Soccer is a famous sport, no matter who you are or what language you speak everyone knows the language of soccer.
AO: How have your supporters helped you in your soccer career and progress as a person?
LV: All my coaches have helped me evolve my skill set and encouraged me to work out and get bigger and better. They gave me small and important things to work on like my touches. My parents and brother helped me a lot. I was able to watch him play and learn from him. My parents were able to buy me the gear I needed and put me in clubs to continue developing my skills and progress in soccer.
AO: Has COVID-19 affected your season? If so, how?
LV: COVID has 100 percent affected my season. We now have less games and are unable to play the big important games with spectators. COVID has made it less adrenaline-driven: you wont get as much tension when you play because there are not many people there. In a good way, COVID gave me more time to practice and focus on myself. Masks make it harder to play by modifying the speed we can go. It’s harder to run in a mask and it affects your endurance.
AO: How have you developed as an athlete during quarantine?
LV: Last year around March and the start of quarantine, I would go to fields around my field and play soccer and other sports. I used my time working out to get better at my sport. I could worry more about myself, and make sure I am a good teammate to others in a setting where others criticize.
AO: What changed about your season this year due to COVID-19?
LV: COVID has changed many things in my sport, the amount of drills we can do are limited because of contact. Soccer is all about being close and working on closse drills. When everyone is in a line and spaced out it makes it harder to do drills quickly because you have to make sure everyone stays distanced and you have to remind others. In the end, COVID just slows down the process.
AO: Do you think things will go back to normal?
LV: I hope things go back to normal, with the vaccine that came out it might speed up the process. There are always chances of recurring viruses and new strains of viruses. It would be nice to be able to play sports without worrying about masks and mandates again.
AO: What quote has pushed you to persevere in soccer?
LV: “You miss all of the shots that you don’t take”- Wayne Gretzky. If you don’t take a shot there’s no way you’re gonna know if you’ll make it or not so you might as well go for it because you might have a chance of making the shot.
AO: What is good advice you have for athletes during this time?
LV: You definitely want to take advantage of the weight room. Soccer isn’t really known for getting big and muscular but it’ll help you be competitive. You want to have any physical advantage that you have on your opponent and you want to be the person who takes the first touch.
AO: Who are your role models and why?
LV: My family, My parents would drive me and my brother to soccer practices or lacrosse practices and that would allow me to learn from watching my older brother play. Having people to look up to and people who you know will always support you helps you move on in life and learn more about your sport.