Co-Captain Alex Torrens ’24 fosters an inclusive atmosphere by making himself accessible and consistently demonstrating respect for his fellow teammates. Kai Myles ’27 believes that Torrens has indeed created a welcoming atmosphere. He feels that Torrens’ attitude has allowed the team to form a deep personal connection.
“A.T. [Alex Torrens] has been really helpful in introducing me to players and making sure that players spoke to me about anything. I was so new, I was actually the last recruit to come in. He made sure that everyone made me feel welcome, everyone integrated me into the activities and team bonding activities. A.T. has helped me so much and I think we have created such a bond together from a Captain to a Freshman. He is always making sure that he is talking to me and making jokes to me, and I feel extremely comfortable around him,” said Myles.
According to Torrens, one of his most cherished parts of soccer is the camaraderie.
“My favorite aspect of soccer has to be the team culture. Especially compared to other individual sports, I see culture created on a soccer team, the community on the team that you create, and being connected with people from all over the world through soccer. So I love the sense of community and the amount of new people in different cultures that you can learn from and make bonds with,” said Torrens.
Torrens believes that effective leadership entails establishing personal connections with each teammate and cultivating a sense of trust that enables anyone to approach him with confidence, whether seeking advice or assistance.
“As a leader I try to make it personable and one-on-one, in the sense where I really try to develop a relationship with each member on the team and form that bond and that trust. As a leader, if I have those bonds and those connections, my teammates can feel comfortable with me talking and bringing up any problems and they can have confidence that I can amplify their voice,” said Torrens.
Jack Alexander ’25 appreciates Torrens’ work ethic and dependability when playing in a game. He says Torrens has a determined and friendly personality which leaves a powerful impact on the team.
Alexander said, “For me, being a goalie, and with him being a six [center defensive midfielder], he’s extremely reliable and you can rely on him to take things seriously. I have a lot of trust in him as a player and can trust that he is constantly working hard and tracking back as well as not losing the ball easily, which means a lot to me as a goalie. Off the field, compared to the other captains he doesn’t talk as much, but he still has a strong presence. You always see him working hard, which really makes us want to work hard ourselves. He’s all around a great guy, really easygoing and makes everyone laugh. He is not someone who blames others and just takes the game seriously and has a strong passion for it.”
Torrens emphasizes that this year, all the Co-Captains have collaborated to instill confidence in their teammates and elevate team morale. By collectively stressing the objective of maintaining a positive and self-assured attitude on the soccer field, the Co-Captains are actively working to cultivate a stronger sense of unity amongst them.
Torrens said, “I think morale and cohesion [are] super important for performance, and I think it is something that we have improved a lot on this year. When the atmosphere is really tense and everyone is just yelling at each other and people are not getting along, it [can get] chippy, that can reflect on the field. I think me, Zane [Matraji ’24], Ellis [Denby ’24], and Garrett [Holman ’24], this year, are doing a much better job of creating more unity amongst the team and better relationships among everyone and that is reflected on the pitch. We see more trust among the players, and they are less likely to get mad or frustrated at each other.”
