In competitive sports, such as soccer, it becomes evident that players strive for a starting position. With this being the case, the question arises, what happens to the players on the bench? In contrast to popular belief, the bench seems to be the heart of the team. The sheer amount of blood, sweat and tears that go into being a key bench warmer, is frankly overwhelming. While carrying the team on their backs, players Thomas Mink and Mac Mclemore have to learn how to make room for their everyday duties in their soccer lives.

 In reality, sitting on the bench is not as boring as people may assume. Every practice, pregame, and warm-up is the same for everyone. The team is all working for the sole purpose of making it to the state championship. Although game time differs among players, those who spend the majority of the game on the bench feel as if their contributions are not wasted. Head Coach, Chase Wickham, knows the various strengths of his players and substitutes players appropriately, and with the goal of winning.

 Carmel’s varsity men’s soccer team competes independently in state competition and belongs to the 4A level of the NCISAA. Historically, Carmel has been very successful in soccer, winning a state championship in 2020 and finishing as state finalists in 2021 and 2022. This year, the team’s 12 seniors have the same goal in mind as they hope to rally in the playoffs in their many roles on the team. Senior center back, Carson Rochon, states, “Joining varsity for senior year is exciting, mainly because I have one shot to make  [the season] count with this team.” Having upperclassmen is special due to the leadership and mentorship they can provide, and that leadership begins outside the white lines.

 The bench can be a place where players have mixed emotions, but the varsity men’s team has evolved their bench into something much greater. Carson Russell, senior and first-year soccer player states, “Being on the bench has helped me learn so much about the game. Getting to speak with our coaches throughout games has helped me progress in my first year playing.” Russell speaks the most with Assistant Coach, Tim Cheux, and they share thoughts and comments on what they observe on the field. Cheux makes sure to include the bench players in his assessments so that every person on the team is learning something new rather than just warming the bench. Cheux sometimes talks to players so much that there have become betting lines on how many times he will call players over. The betting line is currently set at 6.5.

 From a leadership standpoint, players on the bench have the responsibility of keeping high spirits on the team. Encouraging the players on the field keeps the team’s spirit high and increases the chemistry of the team. Senior forward, Ryan Andrade, says, “I think encouraging your teammates is one of the most important things about a team. It can make or break the team dynamic.”

 All in all, the entirety of the team, not just the bench, feels more like a family with each passing day. The teammates share many fun memories from Connor Medford missing five tap-ins in a row, making Cade Wickham, Coach Wickham’s son, play fetch with soccer balls, to Christopher Grace scoring an absolute wonder goal against Weddington. Although it seems like kicks and giggles in the moment, these will grow to be very fond memories in the hearts of the players.

With the team going into the second half of the season, they look to take all of their expertise gained from the first 9 games into the final 7 of the regular season. There is still a lot of time to get better, and a lot of fun to look forward to. Before the playoff run, the team plays rival Covenant Day for senior night and arch-nemesis Rabun Gap for the big Homecoming game. The leaves are changing, the air is cooling, and the Cougars are hungry for some wins.  As the team continues to get better, the bench continues to get warmer, and the boys would not want it any other way.