UTRGV soccer teams return to competition

Karina Rodriguez | THE RIDER

The UTRGV Men’s and Women’s Soccer teams have their first competition of 2021 in the Texas A&M International Exhibition Wednesday at the UTRGV Soccer and Track & Field Complex in Edinburg. 

Although the women’s team plays at 4:30 p.m. and the men at 7 p.m., fans will not be allowed to spectate the exhibition.

UTRGV Men’s Soccer Coach Bryheem Hancock said that he feels that the team is ready to begin competition again.

“I do think the team is prepared,” Hancock said. “Right now, we’ve had a week of training, or week two now, [and] the guys have been working hard. [They’re] fully focused on what we’re working on tactically as a team, [and it is] just minor tweaks we are doing from the way they played in the past.”

He said he has made changes in his coaching methods because of COVID-19.

“I think it’s been more, you know, from a distance, smaller numbers, as opposed to being [in a] larger group, [and] more focused on individual player development programs,” Hancock said.

UTRGV senior forward William Akio said that he is excited to start this season.

“I’m very excited because I’m captain and, like, I was one of the younger guys when I first came in,” Akio said. “And now that I’m one of the older guys, [it is] kind of nice to, you know, try to share my knowledge and try to just give the best advice I can to the younger boys.”

He urged his teammates to appreciate the time they spend as student athletes.

“Don’t take any second that you’re here for granted because it goes by very fast,” Akio said. “I didn’t really think it would go by this fast, but everything goes by super fast.” 

He is optimistic that the future could look different, and encourages everyone to remain positive.

“I’d actually like to say that, you know, … we made it past 2020,” Akio said. “We proved that we can overcome any obstacle. We can get back to our playing ways [and] we can get back to, you know, seeing each other again. And, slowly but surely, it will come back to normal as long as you just keep following protocols [and] keep doing our thing and just try to be happy.”

UTRGV junior forward Emily Zapata said that she is feeling excited to return to competition.

“We didn’t have a full season, and we’ve been working hard, and I know we’re all excited to start our first game,” Zapata said.

She said that she looks forward to playing with her new teammates.

“There’s so many new girls, and the way they play is so different,” Zapata said. “[I] just [want to get] to know how they play in a different way. … The team that we have, it’s a great team. And I am looking forward to winning [the Western Athletic Conference] this year.” 

Hancock said that he hopes his athletes have fun with the return of competition.

“The biggest thing for them is, just have fun,” he said. “You know, I know they’re going to be excited and have a lot of nerves, a lot of energy, and, you know, it’s not going to be perfect. We expect that, but [we] just [want] for them to get their legs under them again [and] just get a feel for playing again.”