Weiser girls soccer getting ready for season

After a preseason meeting with a number of girls coming out for the 2024 Wolverine soccer season, head coach Trine Loenberg is feeling confident in the path forward.

 “We had a meeting yesterday and the atmosphere, everything is positive,” Loenberg said. “I feel like these girls are wanting to make the most of their season and they are there to have fun.”

 That was late last week, before the first official practice on Monday, Aug. 12. Loenberg said at that point she had over 30 girls planning to play.

 “Most of my old girls are coming back, plus additional players,” she said. “We even have one girl from Cambridge, and lots of new ones.”

 The current heat isn’t driving the players to look for cooler parts of the day to practice.

 “The girls decided we are going to practice at 4:30 and it will run for two hours,” Loenberg said. “It will be hot to start with, but we are trying to take into consideration players who are involved in band and cheer, too, so we will work around so they can be there. It’s all about communication, and our girl from Cambridge has to drive down.

 “Our first practice will hold some theoretical and some practical information for newer players,” Loenberg said. “I’m so proud of the girls at that meeting for speaking up and saying what we should also do, and for their taking the new players into consideration. Some can learn from reading, and some from watching.”

 Loenberg said they will go over soccer “language,” for instance, positioning.

 “Since it’s 11 versus 11, positioning is very important, and when you’re very new to the sport, you may not know what a defender is or does. So, we will go through everything.

 “These girls have never disappointed me,” she added. “The real win in any season is to see them having fun, and then see how they grow from the beginning to the end of the season.”

 Loenberg did emphasize they will be paying attention to air quality until the wildland fire smoke clears up.

 “We can’t have practice if the air quality is bad, and we will follow the rules,” she said.

 The Lady Wolverines season kicks off on Aug. 27, with a game at Columbia High School in Nampa.