PHOENIX - With a new head coach and a strong returning core, Bourgade Catholic girls soccer is emphasizing fundamentals, chemistry, and steady progress in the 2025-26 season.
For first-year head coach Ruben Alvarez Chavez, the transition has been smooth. After serving as an assistant for both the boys and girls varsity teams last year, Alvarez Chavez said the familiarity between him and the players has made a big difference.
“Most of the girls here are familiar with me,” he said. “They kind of keep themselves accountable. Now it’s just a matter of connecting the different levels of play we have.”
The Golden Eagles return roughly 15 players from last season, giving the team a solid foundation to build on. Alvarez Chavez said his main focus early in the season is improving team chemistry and connecting the different lines of play, particularly in the midfield.
“Chemistry for me is the biggest thing,” he said. “You can have all the best players in the world, but if they don’t know how to play together, it’s not going to work.”
He added that this year’s squad has shown promise, with returning players growing more confident and aggressive on offense. Still, finding consistency in the middle of the field remains a top priority.
Alvarez Chavez, a 2022 Bourgade graduate, credits much of his coaching foundation to boys varsity head coach Alejandro Luna, under whom he played and later served as an assistant coach.
“If I didn’t learn from Coach Luna, I wouldn’t be a coach today,” Alvarez Chavez said. “The formation we play and a lot of what I teach comes from him.”
Senior Celeste Trevino, a three-year varsity player and the team’s center back, echoed her coach’s emphasis on chemistry and communication.
“We’re really good at communicating and taking instruction,” Trevino said. “A lot of our team is just starting out playing soccer, so we’re developing together.”
Trevino, who is returning to the field after a volleyball injury sidelined her earlier this school year, said her focus this season is on personal growth and helping her less-experienced teammates adjust.
“My mindset is just pushing through it and working on bettering myself,” she said. “We have a lot of girls who are just starting soccer, so it’s about teaching them so we can have a good season.”
Despite the challenges that come with rebuilding, Trevino and her teammates have their eyes set on a clear goal: a playoff berth.
“We want to at least make it to the playoffs," she said. "That’s our number one goal.”
For Alvarez Chavez, progress will be measured not only in wins but in development and competitiveness.
“I think it’s important to make goals but also set realistic steps for yourself,” he said. “If we can win four or five games and show that progression, that’s a step forward.”
With nearly 30 players on the roster, the Golden Eagles are balancing experience and growth as they look to take the next step as a program.
And for Trevino, there’s more to look forward to than just the matches themselves.
“I love away games,” she said with a laugh. “Those bus rides, going to different schools, it’s fun being with my team.”
Bourgade Catholic girls soccer will begin their season at home against Kingman High School on Dec. 2 at 4:00 p.m.
