As Montgomery county fell, Highlands rose. The varsity boys’ soccer team huddled together and talked confidently and positively, despite the fact that they were struggling to make a goal. Once the team went back on the field, it was time for a comeback. After pushing and pushing as a team, they dominated in double overtime.

Teamwork has been proven throughout the season to be one of the most effective forms of strategy.

Senior and team captain Alex Ford explained, “When we work together and stay composed, everyone is level-minded and able to play very well. This composure and being level headed helped us win many games this year.”

Head coach Chad Niedert added, “Teamwork makes us resilient. When we are going through a tough time, working together helps us collectively get back together.”

Working together also has benefits. The boys’ soccer team had an amazing season, in which they advanced to state. They also formed irreplaceable bonds.

“When teamwork is effective, we are a very good team. Everyone on the team has a very good bond. This year we practically eliminated past social systems where each class would stay together and talk separately. Everyone was a friend to everyone. This friendship helped us be a very dominate team on the field. When we were happy with each other we were good,” Ford said.

Niedert added, “They have a brotherhood. They’ve been playing together for so long, that they’ve formed these friendships that you can’t replace.”

In soccer, teamwork is a requirement as you must communicate to pass the ball and get it into the goal.

Ford explained, “The team would definitely fall apart if we didn’t work together. If you don’t work together and give compassion to each other your team will fall apart on the field.”

“We call it self-destruct mode. When we see other teams not working together or not communicating with each other, they often fall apart,” Niedert added.

Teamwork means different things to everybody, but they all have one thing in common, which is working together to achieve a goal.

“To myself, teamwork means that every part of the team, being the physical players themselves, but also their attitudes working in a way that a machine would work to give a wanted function. Our function would be winning games. If a certain part in this machine fails, the machine will not work and the function of winning will dissipate. When we [the soccer team] worked together as friends while having fun playing the game, we were unstoppable,” Ford stated.

Teamwork comes in many different forms. For the HHS boys’ soccer team, this trait of being able to work together helped them advance far into the season, while even making it to state.