For Salina South soccer standout Yaden Montanez, the upcoming season is about more than individual accomplishments. It is an opportunity to continue playing a sport he loves alongside a longtime friend and teammate while pushing himself to improve.
“The most exciting part for me this upcoming season is being able to play a sport I love alongside my lifelong teammate and friend Adrian Lara, and improving more and more throughout the season,” Montanez said.
Montanez enters the season with plenty of experience and momentum. He earned second-team all-state honors as a forward and was also named a second-team Chisholm Trail Division I forward. Last season, he recorded 10 goals and 10 assists.
Montanez and Lara have developed a strong connection on the field over the years. That relationship is one of the things Montanez is looking forward to most as he begins another season with the Cougars.
During the offseason, Montanez continued working to prepare himself for the challenges ahead. He attended several camps, played club soccer with CKU and trained with friends.
His offseason work also focused on one particular area of his game: shooting.
“One thing I’ve been trying to improve on is my shooting,” Montanez said. “A way I’ve been improving this is by practicing my free kicks and doing drills.”
That extra work has given Montanez another area of his game to build upon as he looks to become a more complete offensive player.
His goals for the season extend beyond statistics. Montanez wants to make significant progress throughout the year while helping Salina South compete for a state championship.
“A goal I have for this season is having the greatest growth throughout the year, winning awards and also winning state with teammates,” Montanez said.
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