Co-ed Crushers, an Ocean Lakes sophomore team, participates in a winter soccer league.
“I originally had the idea last year, but this year, I got quite a bit of people to agree with me and play, and it has blown up from there,” sophomore and team member Drew Halter said.
The Crushers are in their first year together. The team consists of almost all Math and Science Academy students with games played on Friday and Saturday evenings at the Virginia Beach Field House.
The team is completely self-run and does not officially affiliate with the school, so much so that it does not have an official coach. The players figure out the logistics for substitutions and determine strategies to win all on their own.
According to teammates, the team emphasizes fun and enjoys every chance they get to play together.
“My favorite part about being on the team is my teammates. They are always filled with energy and I enjoy getting to experience games with them,” sophomore and soccer player Hailey Macgregor said.
The Crushers consist of both varsity and JV Ocean Lakes soccer players and serves as a way for the athletes to prepare themselves for the upcoming soccer season which begins on Feb. 24, according to beachdistrictva.org.
“This is a great way to prepare for the school soccer season because it’s good conditioning and we get constant touches on the ball, and anytime you can get extra reps in you’re always getting better,” Drew said.
After a winning season, the team has earned a spot in the final, occurring on March 1. Updates on the team are found on the club’s Instagram account @ol_coed.crushers. They plan to continue next year and keep playing as juniors.
“If I could play again next year, I would play because it is fun socially and it also keeps my soccer skills on par,” Hailey said.
