Note: Some student names in this article have been omitted to protect anonymity.

Three boys on the JV Blue soccer team received rare one-game suspensions on September 19 after an opposing team’s parents contacted the school about their sideline behavior.

Early in the season, the blue team sat on the sidelines at Fenwick, watching JV Orange’s game and waiting for their turn to take the field. While they cheered on their classmates, three players cursed loudly near Fenwick players’ parents, who contacted Latin’s Athletic Department about their behavior. The three players were each suspended for one game.

The incident signaled to their coaches that the team needed a change. They held a meeting to establish new team rules, and appointed two captains: juniors Milo Karsh and Ari Fayne.

The team took this feedback seriously. One suspended player admitted to his actions and reflected on his mistakes.

“I felt very bad, I felt like I let the whole team down,” the player said. “The three of us completely understand why we were suspended, and we learned from our actions from that game. After the suspension, I was much more disciplined and a better teammate.”

Together, led by Ari and Milo, the players took feedback from their coaches and drafted new rules to follow for the rest of the season. Some of the team’s new rules after the suspensions included being supportive teammates, not swearing, and helping each other grow.

“Although the season started rough, we came together as a team down the stretch,” Milo said. “Since the team was in a slump, Ari and I talked with the team and understood that we needed to step it up for the rest of the season.”

The players agreed collectively on the rules they created. With hard work and a more supportive attitude, on September 28, the JV Blue team won for the first time at Homecoming against Parker.

“We all learned to be more respectful and become more supportive teammates after our punishment, and our new rules worked,” another one of the suspended players said. “Our commitment showed in our first win a few days after the suspensions.”

The team won another game later in the season and, in spite of a few losses, continued to enjoy their time together.

“Even after the issues, we had a lot of fun—way more fun than I thought was even possible on a two-win team.” sophomore Lee Whiston said. “We were a very messy team to begin with, but the laughs and watching the team grow were awesome,”

“JV Blue had a valuable opportunity this year to learn and grow as a team,” Athletic Director Katie Johnson said.“They embraced the chance to reflect on what it means to represent our school positively, and we’re proud of how they took that feedback to grow together and focus on representing our school well with the rest of their season.”