The Lady Panther soccer team has made a name for itself over the years at Savannah Arts Academy. Between the morning announcements and word of mouth, everyone has heard about our girls’ soccer team and their constant victories. However, only a handful of people know that our school also has an indoor soccer team. The first question that probably comes to mind is “Our school has an indoor soccer team?!” Which is followed by “Wait, what is indoor soccer?”
Indoor soccer has been around since the late 1800s and yet many people today do not know what it is. Indoor is played on a much smaller field with smaller goals, and it has walls. It looks similar to a hockey rink but the goals are in the walls and there is astroturf rather than ice. Indoor soccer is fast paced and there are only six players on the field at a time, including goalkeepers. The balls can bounce off the walls and only when the ball hits the ceiling is it out of bounds. Soccer players love indoor because it is faster and more ball handling oriented than outdoor.
“I find it more challenging because it’s faster and much more technical than outdoor soccer,” comments Maria Mayo, a junior who has been playing with the SAA Girls’ indoor soccer team since she was a freshman. “I like indoor better because it’s faster and there are less players,” she adds with a smile.
The SAA girls decided to form an indoor soccer team about five years ago as a way to get the potential school soccer players together before the season. Indoor is a great work out and is non-stop running, but the game is even more beneficial for the girls because it gives them a chance to get to know each other. Upperclassmen and underclassmen mingle and learn how to play as a team without the pressures of coaches.
When asked why she played indoor soccer with the Lady Panthers, Teresa Samaras responded: “I can slam people against the walls! But seriously, just from playing indoor, I’ve gotten a lot closer to all the girls that I will be playing with in the school season, and that’s awesome.” Teresa has been playing indoor since the 3rd grade and is playing her second season with the Lady Panthers.
“It’s good for us to play together before the school season to get in shape,” adds Lake Gnann, a sophomore who is playing with the SAA team for the first time this year.
The Lady Panthers play at Supergoose Sports on Monday nights and always put on a good show. They have either come in first or second place in the tournament every year since their creation. Their opponents include schools such as Johnson, Savannah Country Day, Savannah Christian, and their biggest opponent, Jenkins.
The Lady Panther Indoor soccer team concluded their season with an undefeated 7-0 record. They made it all the way through the playoffs to the Championship where they suffered a hard loss to Richmond Hill. They ended the tournament in second place, but the girls’ are not devastated.
“I will never forget this season of indoor. We had an amazing time playing together, eating team dinners, and preparing for the games with “jam sessions”. We are going to miss our seniors next year, but at least we all had this incredible season to remember,” concludes Teresa Samaras.