Last year, Aliso Niguel’s girls soccer team placed third in the South Coast league with a record of 4-3-1. They were eliminated in the first round of the Division I CIF. This year, their current record is league 2-2-4 and on Feb. 4, they beat Capo Valley High School to enter the playoffs.
Claire Hirakawa (10) has been a key player for Aliso this year, being the highest scorer on the team thus far. As a forward, she has majorly helped in driving the team to success.
Hirakawa says, “It feels great to be able to score goals but at the end of the day, it’s a team effort and I just try to help the team.”
She explained her focus this year and her desire to become more consistent, controlling only what she can. Hirakawa has been focused on the collective effort of the team despite her individual accomplishments.
Hirakawa says that this year she has worked on improving her mindset and outlook. She says one thing that helps with this is surrounding herself with good people. She attributes her success this season to this personal growth and improved consistency.
Her focus is evident through her dedication to practice daily.
Hirakawa said, “I love doing it.”
Like every team, girl’s soccer tends to form different social groups, but Hirakawa says, “The team always comes together when it’s time to play, it’s great.”
The trust between players helps improve team chemistry and shows the unity of the team.
As a younger player leading the team in scoring, some might expect tension between players, but Hirakawa dismisses this, saying there has never been hostility between players, she just “misses some of [her] teammates from last year.” Her focus remains on good relationships and playing well for the good of the team.
Despite only being a sophomore, it’s Hirakawa’s second year as a starting varsity player and with her team-first mentality she has become a crucial player for Aliso. As she continues to develop her skills she remains focused on helping her team, and will do so the rest of her high school career.
