Aleah Rothstein

The Solon High School girls soccer team participating in the National Anthem before their game starts.

Jacey Simms, captain and senior, who has been playing soccer since she was 3 years old, discusses the types of traditions she participates in and what they mean to the girls soccer team at Solon High School.

Q: What are some traditions you guys have?

A: We tap each other’s heels during the national anthem and then run back to the bench right after. We give out the Wonder Bear. We hit the “believe” sign when we leave the locker room. We have pasta parties. We write words on our wrists each game. We have a team bonding activity each summer. The underclassmen make a poster for seniors that is put up for senior night. On the third day of school each year, the seniors choose a funky outfit for the freshman to wear to school.

Q: Who started Wonder Bear, and what is it?

A: Our retired JV coach started the idea during my sophomore year. It is to reward whoever we believe played the best. In the first game, our coach decides who receives the bear, but after that, it is decided by the previous winner. Whenever we win it, we get to sign our names on his cape. We layer a new cape every year. This is our newest tradition.

Q: What is your least favorite tradition?

A: Our three sprints after doing the national anthem because it tires me out before our game even starts.

Q: What is your favorite tradition?

A: My favorite tradition is pasta parties before home games because I enjoy the delicious food made by the parents. I also like getting to bond with my team outside of being on the field.

Q: How are the senior posters done?

A: The seniors choose a group of underclassmen to make their posters. We tell them how they want it to look, and the underclassmen will stay after practice to make them. They will normally write our name and number.

Q: What words do you write on your wrists before each game?

A: At the beginning of the season, the seniors pick a word that involves the number of seniors playing. For example, this year our word is “8elieve.” We write an “8” as our “B” because there are our 8 seniors. Previously, we’ve also done “6rateful” and made our “G” a “6” for the six seniors.

Q: What do you do for team bonding each summer?

A: We went on a camping trip this year– it was our first year camping. We’ve done beach Olympics a couple of times. One year, we went to a ropes course.

Q: What did you guys do while camping?

A: We swam at a lake, we made walking tacos, set up tents and made s’mores.

Q: Do you have any traditions that are specifically for good luck at the beginning of a game?

A: Our head coach has a handshake with each of us that we do after we get called to start. A lot of us have handshakes with each other that we do when walking out to our positions. We also kiss our pinkies and swipe them on the sidelines after we run back from the national anthem. We have our chant that we do in our huddle.

Join the girls’ soccer team on Monday, Oct. 6, at 7 p.m. for their senior night game against Aurora High School.