The stakes are high for high school soccer players this week as districts begin. Soccer teams from Ann Arbor Public Schools and surrounding school districts will meet at Temperance Bedford for the District 10 Michigan High School Athletic Association’s Girls Soccer Districts.

It is the first of several small sections of competition that will eventually build up to a state-wide competition. Each district has a bracket that filters into these wider-reaching matchups.

For Pioneer Women’s Varsity head coach Andy Irvine, districts are when the real season begins. He believes that while the regular season is important, it serves more as a way to strengthen his players and prepare them before the knockout play begins.

“As coaches, we always try to prepare for districts by playing a schedule that is challenging,” Irvine said. “This helps us keep our focus and builds our confidence, and I think we’ve done that.” 

Many of the teams, both coaches and players, look forward to districts all season long. It is a chance to prove themselves, whether that means continuing their success or looking for a second chance.

Sam Magee, a member of the Huron High School Women’s Varsity soccer team and CHS sophomore, hopes that, despite some struggle in their regular season, Huron can push through in districts. But Magee is hopeful and wants to make up for her team’s disappointing district result last season.

“Districts is something that every team kind of has in the back of their mind that they’re always thinking about while the regular season is going on,” Magee said.

For District 10 of Division 1, Huron will play Pioneer in their first game. In their regular season, Pioneer beat Huron School 7-0, but with districts comes fierce determination, and Huron is ready to bring it. This is true across the board, as the season progresses and games become more important, schools work harder and harder.

“A lot of teams have been making improvements and it makes every game more interesting,” Magee said.

Irvine, too, sees the growth across the season and holds immense pride in his team’s progress. 

“They’ve trusted each other and trusted the system,” Irvine said. “That trust has started to show in our results against highly ranked teams.”

For Irvine, Magee and teams across the state, these next few weeks will be nerve-wracking and full of emotion, but overall exciting.