This season, the freshman girls soccer team is going above and beyond to create strong team bonding through a game called “Gotcha.” “Gotcha” has majorly impacted the closeness of the players and their ability to work as a team. Players Jaden Ferguson and Taylor Wells explain how the game is played, and why it’s an important part of their soccer experience.

“Gotcha is like Senior Assassins. We all pitch in $5 so it adds up to $110 for prize money,” freshman Taylor Wells said. “If your person is not wearing the safe item, you try to go up to them, tag them and say gotcha. That’s how they know they are out. Then they tell you their person and text Coach Katie.”

The safe item is a certain item carried or worn by the team. If someone forgets to bring the ‘safe item,’ they are able to be tagged.

“First we started off easy with our team soccer jackets,” freshman Jaden Ferguson said.”  “Then it went to wearing your clothes backwards, wearing two different shoes, two buns and then wearing glasses or socks with sandals.”

This game is taken very competitively by the team and the girls go out of their way to know everything about their person.

“It makes us learn more about our people,” Wells said. “We know about all their classes, what their wearing and just always being aware of them. We kind of stalk them.”

Not only must the players be aware on school grounds, but everywhere they go.

“Anywhere you are, you can be tagged except at our soccer games and practices,” Wells said. “We have ten minutes before and ten minutes after practice that are safe.”

 Although this game may be new to Carlsbad High, other teams have played this game as well.

“Our Coach Katie organized the game. She used to play professional soccer and her team, as team bonding activity, played this game, except it was way more extreme,” Wells said. “They even had to wear a sports bra on top of their shirts and a diaper over their pants.”

As the game continues to progress, the safe items get worse and less people are willing to wear them. Players that have already gotten out, submit their ideas that will make their teammates not want to wear the safe items.

“I’m a little upset that I got out but it’s fun to give hard ideas for safe items,” Ferguson said.  “You get to see all your teammates walk around with two buns on their head and other funny stuff like that.”

“Gotcha” has had an overall large impact on this team on and off the field.

“I think this game was a super funny idea,” Wells said. “It’s fun to play but it’s also stressful having to watch your back and having constant paranoia. But I think that it’s really helping with our soccer because it’s super fun and we are all bonding.”