Scorpions Soccer Teams Receive Words of Encouragement from Guest Speaker

In preparation for the upcoming season, members of the men’s and women’s TSC Scorpion Soccer were recently given the opportunity to sit down and take in some motivational words from a distinguished guest speaker.

Omar Vela, a criminal investigator for the U.S. Department of Defense, took time out of his schedule to visit the TSC REC Center on Tuesday, August 20, 2024 to meet with the team players.

Vela spoke on the importance that trust plays in effective teamwork, relating back to the level of camaraderie he and his fellow soldiers shared and how it was crucial in their overall effectiveness in the field.

A former athlete himself, Vela spoke openly with the young athletes, telling stories about the various difficulties and hardships he encountered during his time in the military as a U.S. Army Ranger, in particular during his deployment to Afghanistan in the early 2000s.

”Two of the things that makes a great team cohesion and camaraderie,” said Vela. “These factors come into play through training, practicing, taking care of one another and going through hardships together, because enduring those hardships together is what is going to give you the strength to move past them.”

Additionally, he stressed the importance of communication as a contributing factor to strengthening cohesion. “You have to talk to each other, whether its friendly talk or if its about problems you might have,” Vela began. “You’re going to have disagreements from time to time, but you need to know when and how to put them aside because that’s going to make for better morale and teamwork.”

With the new season on the horizon, both teams have been diligently practicing and preparing for the road ahead of them. However, after hearing Mr. Vela’s advice and encouragement, many on the team walked out of the session with a renewed sense of motivation.

“I found it to be very motivational, and I felt like he made a lot of good points and said things that we needed to hear, said Becky Zuniga, a midfielder for the women’s Scorpions team. “I feel really good about the upcoming season, especially since we have a lot of new components we’re working with that have made us a lot stronger and have us feeling united as a team.”

While the Scorpions Soccer teams have unyielding support from their fellow TSC peers and colleagues, after this recent session, they can also count Mr. Vela as one of their newest fans.

“This campus should be very proud of these players and the coaching staff that they have, and this season, I think you’re going to see these fine young men and women tap into their potential, display more cohesion and keep improving with every game.”

The first game of the season will take place on Friday, September 13, 2024 at TSC Scorpion Field as the teams take on Paris JC.