Before the start of freshman year, Kepler Quan ’29 was nervous about his first high school soccer season, even though he’d been playing for several years. He’d played a summer scrimmage with some high schoolers where his team was overpowered, leaving him unsure of how he would stack up to the rest of the team. 

Once he joined the team, his apprehension quickly disappeared. The student captains and coaches focused on more than just physical prowess; the strategies on the field were just as important. 

“It’s not just about being physical, you also have to be smart. And that’s how we play,” Quan said. 

Co-captains Connor Huh ’26, Jack Huhs ’26, and Rohan Krishnan ’26 have worked with their coaches to ensure practices train the nine new freshmen on the team in strategy. With the coaching, Krishnan hopes to ease the new players into high school soccer. 

“Coming to high school is a huge difference, even if you’ve played club or in middle school, because you play with kids who are three years older than you. You have to learn to play around that, [by playing] up to the physicality that you need, but at the same time, playing to your strengths,” Krishnan said.  “It takes some time to get used to, but I think they’ve been doing a good job so far.” 

In turn, the captains’ efforts have helped make the soccer environment quite welcoming and warm. 

“Everyone works to help you get better—it’s very inclusive,” Quan said. 

Quan noted how the mentorship has not come from only seniors; the sophomores have taken the freshmen under their wing as well. For Aaron Kaufman ’28, being that guide for the freshmen has been one of his favorite parts of the season so far, as the team slowly builds community on and off the field. 

“It’s fun having the responsibility of being a bit of a mentor or just showing the new players the ropes a bit,” Kaufman said. 

Although the season has not officially started yet, their teamwork has paid off so far in the preseason games, with each smooth pass and goal—with a goal by Krishnan in a match against the Crystal Uplands School as a particularly exciting one for the team. Going into the official season, each player has their own aspirations: Kaufman is hoping for an undefeated season, Quan aspires to become a starter player, and Krishnan aims for their team to continue to play in the Central Coast Section playoffs. 

Krishnan’s goals also extend beyond the team to the greater school community. For his last season, he hopes more students and families will come to their games and watch them secure every new victory. 

“Having your friends there watching, it’s always like a nice feeling. And especially for the younger kids, more attendance would be cool,” Krishnan said. “The energy is always fantastic.”