The Skyline women’s soccer team is back! With an extended time off from the repercussions of Covid-19, their last season was in 2019. However, they are starting off strong with an outstanding record of 6-3 from a hard-working group of freshman girls.

“Getting a group of players who otherwise did not know each other previously,” coach Sharabi said. “And kind of getting them to come together and become a team, and become a family, and really create friendships that will go beyond the field. It’s pretty cool that only a few of them really knew each other a month ago [and] now they’re becoming a pretty close-knit team.”

Michael Sharabi was hired in May of this year but was previously a men’s soccer coach for 16 years. His passion for working with athletes has driven this team to become a successful group of girls right off the bat.

“I think we’ve got a great group of girls, and they were eager to learn and willing to be coached,” he said. “They work very hard. They are talented because of their willingness to play for each other. I think that’s really led to us getting some good results.”

Melanie Garcia, the freshman goalkeeper, has been playing soccer since she was five. She started playing in smaller leagues with her siblings and has been playing ever since. Her passion for the sport has driven her to continue playing into college and start thinking about greater goals like playing in the big leagues.

She recognizes the integral role soccer plays in her life. As the team captain, improving her teammates’ chemistry and skills is essential to her as she wants to keep up their record-strong start to the season.

“We’re still learning and growing,” Garcia said. “We still have a lot to learn. I think this season will be the time to practice more with each other.”

Like Melanie, Emily Dubon has been playing since she was a little girl. Her biggest motivation was her father, who introduced her to the sport. She fell in love with soccer at a young age and has played even throughout college.

She’s considered the team’s playmaker, leading her group to become as best as they can be. She has been playing a new position which has led to some challenges, but she has been able to overcome and improve.

“I’ve had to adapt,” Dubon said. “I’ve had to learn how to adjust.”