There are many lasts that come with the senior year of high school.
For Westminster Christian’s Johannah “Jo” Siers, this spring is the final time she will be a teammate in high school with her sophomore sister Kylie.
Another first? The two midfielders also are playing for their dad, coach Dave Siers.
“I knew it was going to be a lot of fun being a senior and spending so much time with my friends,” Jo Siers said. “And I knew when I came to high school I’d have a chance to play with Kylie, but I never expected to play for my dad. It’s an unexpected bonus.”
There’s also the advantage of playing for someone who has witnessed the progress made since the first day the sisters started kicking a soccer ball.
“It’s awesome having him as our coach,” Kylie Siers said of their dad. “He’s seen us play for so long, and knows where our weaknesses are and how to push us to make us better.”
Dave Siers coached his daughters in middle school and on the club circuit, so it’s not entirely a new experience.
“It’s a real blessing to be able to be a part of it,” he said. “I would’ve been a part of it regardless from the other sideline, but it has just worked out that I’m on the coaching side so I’m excited.”
He considers Kylie a more technical player than Jo, who’s better tactically.
“But combined, they’re a fearsome duo,” he said.
Excitement for the Warriors has been suppressed as Mother Nature has dissected the schedule, forcing the cancellation of three of their four games in March.
“The weather has not been on our side,” Jo said. “But we know the games will come. It’s still early in the season and once we finally start playing we’ll take one game at a time.”
Then again, Jo peeks at the calendar and feels like her time is running out. She has committed to play in college at Judson.
‘It’s crazy to think that we only have six weeks left,” she said. “But we’ll make the most of the time we have here together.”
It makes sense the Warriors (2-1) are like one little happy family, especially since they only have a varsity team and the school’s enrollment is 143.
“A lot of the families here are already close, so it’s a good group of people that know each other,” Dave Siers said. “When you join the team as a freshman you’re on varsity with these same girls and get to know everybody.”
The Warriors are coming off one of their best years with a 10-6-1 record. This first and only season together for the Siers family has all the ingredients to be a successful one.
“This group of girls is one of the better teams I’ve seen the school have,” Dave Siers said. “That’s exciting and the sophomore class is really strong, so to have that at the (Class) 1A level with experienced players at every position is pretty unique and exciting for this group.”
That excitement doesn’t always carry over to the dinner table. While the Siers share a common love of soccer and are excited for this spring, it’s still just one part of their lives together.
“We love to talk about soccer, but it’s not the main thing,” Dave Siers said. “Obviously, our faith is first and soccer is just a gift and something we get to do to have fun, but it’s not the be-all, end-all.”
C.R. Walker is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
