Coming off a successful 2022 season, Texas State soccer has begun its 2023 campaign with an overall record of 2-1. As the team moves further into the 2023 season, they aim to dominate opponents through a strong work ethic and support system.
With the 2023 season already underway, second-year head coach Steve Holeman hoisted high opinions of his team, noting their ability in areas such as team chemistry. However, the team’s strongest asset is its work ethic according to Holeman.
“It just goes back to work ethic,” Holeman said. “I think when we talk about our identity and what we want to be known as, we want to be known as the hardest working team in the Sun Belt and we want teams to not look forward to playing us.”
Junior midfielder and 2022’s leading goal-scorer Madi Goss said that the team’s hard work is what sets them apart from other programs. Further, when paired with being underestimated by an opposing club, it can give the Bobcats an edge, Goss said.
“I feel like we’re still kind of considered the underdogs that will be underestimated for some games,” Goss said. “But it sets us apart because we’re willing to work hard to prove them wrong.”
Through this work ethic, the 2023 Bobcats have developed a high sense of team chemistry and trust. First-year Bobcat and junior defender Lucy Hart said the connectivity of the team is strong.
Hart has noticed a large amount of zeal from the team that helps keep their group mentality strong and stable.
“We have enough positivity on the team that when someone gets stressed out. There’s enough people to make them feel better if they make a mistake or something,” Hart said. “I think we’ll respond well later in the season [when] we’re under a lot of pressure.”
Hart saidt with the combination of their mental and physical ability, the composure of the team is kept steadily in cases where things don’t go their way.
“That first game we were down one goal and I didn’t feel like we were stressed at all,” Hart said. “Even at halftime, no one was really upset. We knew we could come back from that.”
Holeman holds the same composure on the field and knows how to manage his team in a way that keeps energy consistent and leveled valuable quality, according to Goss.
“He helps you teach,” Goss said. “He will pull you aside and show you what he’s actually asking for instead of just telling it to you and expecting you to know it.”
Overall, the energy that Holeman has brought to the Texas State soccer program has been infectious.
“Our starters are better because our depth is better, and we have a lot of players coming off the bench right now that could be starting,” Holeman said. “I think everyone knows that. So just all around our depth makes us a little more dangerous and a little more hardworking.”
While some teams may have their eyes set on a big prize far down the road, Texas State evidently keeps its nose on the grindstone and actively trusts that the process of hard work. This is the essence of the soccer club’s mantra, ‘Climb The Hill,’ Holeman said.
“Everyone wants to win the conference tournament and go to the NCAA [tournaments], but we just talk about getting better every day,” Holeman said. “We have a mantra ‘climb the hill,’ and that just talks about the hard work we want to put in to get to the top. And we know it’s not gonna be a smooth ride.”
