Owls’ senior looking for teamwork

September 3, 2016

For The Tribune

Winning its first five matches of the season, the Seymour boys soccer team is off to a great start.

Mason Pottschmidt said he thinks if the Owls play together they can continue to pile up the wins.

“We’ve got to stay determined and stay focused, keep our goals that we set for each game,” Pottschmidt said. “We’ve got to keep doing what the coach asks us to do. He’s always coming up with new stuff. We’ve come up with strategies for each game that we worked on all summer, and now we’re adding more elements to our game.

“As far as the seniors, we’re pretty mature, well behaved. It’s more of letting the sophomores and freshmen know what Seymour soccer is all about.”

The senior has played soccer for as long as he can remember.

“I think in preschool or kindergarten I got started with my dad (Leon) being the coach,” Pottschmidt said. “Then it was just learning about the sport, and it’s grown into what it is today.”

In his second year as a starter, Pottschmidt has rotated from an outside midfielder to forward.

Pottschmidt has been a force for the Owls offensively this season, as he had a goal and an assist in the 2-1 conference win at Jeffersonville at the end of August.

He also had either a goal or an assist in the Owls’ first four matches of the season.

He said he “definitely” likes the physical part of soccer and mentioned, “I got my first yellow card against Columbus East. The officials tell the captains what they’re looking for right before the game so we know what to expect.”

Pottschmidt said it is nice for the Owls to score the first goal, but he has confidence in his teammates if they fall behind.

“It’s pretty important (to score first),” he said. “You can always come back if you’re the better team. Scoring the first goal gives you the momentum, lets you know that you can always score another one.”

Pottschmidt said you always need to keep your cool no matter the situation.

“You’ve got to keep your head,” he said. “Sometimes the other team might take some cheap shots at you, and you’ve just got to let it go by you and play your game. You can’t let them get into your head. We all like to talk together right before the game and just clear our heads of all the thoughts we have going on, and we prepare for the match mentally and focus on what we’re trying to achieve.”

For Pottschmidt, some his best memories are from the start of his career and in the classroom at Seymour.

“I’m going to remember the role models I had my freshman year, all those good soccer players,” Pottschmidt said. “I feel like that was our best year, and also I’m going to remember the teachers we have here. They taught me many things and really reached out to me top make me a better person.”

[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”At a glance” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]

Name: Mason Pottschmidt

School: Seymour High School

Parents: Leon and Christy Pottschmidt

Siblings: Mackenzie, Wint and Lydia

Sports: Soccer, four years; basketball, one year

Awards: Top team player 2015, winning O Cup 2016

Organizations: National Honor Society, D.A.R.E. Role model, Latin Club, Student Government, 4-H junior leaders

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