For junior August Field, soccer has been a part of his life for what seems like an eternity. The sport has dominated the vast majority of his childhood, and he has played since he was a young boy of just four years of age. Over the years, Field has devoted countless hours to master his craft and work to improve himself as an athlete in every possible way. Field’s dedication to his sport has proven to be a major factor in the success of the Cavalier Soccer team. With his help, they have performed beyond levels of expectation and have shocked their opponents, sporting a nearly perfect record of 5-1. Looking forward, Field, along with his teammates, hopes to disregard the shortcomings of last season’s finish by capitalizing on their chances this year to win a district championship.

Before joining the Cavalier Boys Soccer team in his freshman year, Field had been competitively playing for the Coral Gables Toros youth soccer club for several years. Although he still plays for his club team today, his main priorities are the soccer team at Gables and his academics. A member of the International Baccalaureate Program, Field truly embodies the characteristics and qualities of a student-athlete. He has held roles of leadership on the class board and has also been on the board of the Best Buddies club since his sophomore year. While soccer will forever be a crucial part of his life, Field never ceases to acknowledge the importance of his academic performances and looks forward to juggling both education and future playing soccer in college.

What are your goals for this season?

The team goals for this season are to win a district championship and hopefully go on to win a state championship. We have a really good team this year and a really good record, so I’m looking forward to hopefully helping my team win in the future.

How does the team train? What are your practices like?

We practice as we play in the games. We put full effort at practice so in order to have the best results as possible once we play our games.

Do you play any other sports?

I played on the badminton team in my freshman year at Gables, and I really look forward to joining the team again this year.

How do you manage to balance sports with academics?

It’s really hard to maintain a balance throughout the soccer season because we have practice every day, but I have time afterward to focus on my studies and do my homework. The struggle is worth it because I love being on the soccer team.

Do you have any other extracurricular activities or hobbies?

Other than school clubs, I don’t really have much to do. I’m in Best Buddies and IBHS, but that’s mainly it.

Would you want to continue playing soccer in college?

I’m actually in contact with a few D-3 coaches and I attended a showcase in North Carolina where they came and watched me play.

Would you like to give any pieces of advice for anybody willing to join the soccer team?

I would say it’s a lot of hard work and if you’re not up for it,  soccer may not be your sport. Coach Fotso is really emphatic on 100% effort and dedication.

Sophomore Mia Crabill first began playing basketball in the fifth grade when her soccer career ended. A close friend of hers had talked about the sport of basketball, encouraging Crabill to try it out. On the Lady Cavalier Basketball team, Crabill has cherished the opportunities that she has been given to not only play a sport she truly loves but to become friends with a group of wonderful people that all share a common passion.

When she is not out on the court, Crabill actively participates in extracurricular activities and is a model student. Aside from being a part of the International Baccalaureate program, she is also taking three AP classes and is a member of the Improv Troupe. Outside of school, she is the sophomore Vice President of membership for the board at her temple’s youth group, Bafty. Despite her packed schedule, Crabill always finds a way to shoot some hoops and improve her skill set as an athlete.

What are your goals for this season?

As a team, I would like for us to win 70% of our games at least, and individually, I would like to score 12-16 points a game.

How does the team train? What are your practices like?

We train for around two and a half hours a day. We have half-hour workouts and two-hour practices.

Do you play any other sports?

Other than basketball, I play flag football.

How do you manage to balance sports with your academics?

I manage my time playing basketball with my academics simply by staying on top of my assignments and studying hard.

Do you have any other extracurricular activities and hobbies?

I do musical theater, Model UN, mock trial, chorus, I volunteer at the zoo, I am on the board at my youth group, and I am part of a Fellowship. I am a Diller Fellow to help us (the Fellows) discover ourselves and how we can better the world. I am on the board of Interfaith Youth Miami, a youth group started by Alexander Sutton, and I am part of the Conservation Teen Scientists program at Zoo Miami, where I get to learn more about the animals.

Would you want to continue playing basketball in college?

I would continue, but only if it would get me a scholarship.

Would you like to give any pieces of advice for anyone willing to join the basketball team?

Please try out next year! We are always looking to build up the program and we need more players in case we get injured. If you make JV, keep playing because you can always learn more and then maybe the following year, you will make varsity!