This time last year, the roster for the Reagan Raiders girls’ soccer team was so sparse that there were only enough players to form a varsity team. Now, the team has enough players to form both varsity and junior varsity squads, and their success on the field is making history.

The Reagan Raiders girls’ soccer team made the playoffs this year for the first time in 20 years, and came in third in AISD.

“They are a great example of the victories that some of our East Austin kids need to have so that they can begin to believe they can be successful,” said Reagan High School Athletic Coordinator and Head Football Coach Keith Carey. “We are really proud of what our soccer programs have accomplished this year at Reagan.”

“The girls have learned to believe in themselves. When they step on the field, they believe that they can compete with anybody. The attitude and competitive spirit has changed from previous years to this year. This is an inspiring thing to witness and to see this growth among the girls' soccer team is one of the highlights of my education career,” said Reagan High School Varsity Girls Soccer Coach Rick Salinas.

Reagan’s boys’ soccer team has also had a successful season, coming in second in District. This Monday, March 25, the team plays the Rouse High School boys’ soccer team at 8 p.m.

“Their goal is to get past the first round of the playoffs and show the community that this team is the real deal,” Carey said.

The next game for Reagan’s girls’ soccer team is against Vista Ridge High School on Tuesday, March 26, at 6 p.m. at Nelson Field. The school plans to hold a tailgate in the parking lot before the game and invites the community to attend and support the Raiders. The tailgate begins at 4:30 p.m.

The accomplishments of Reagan High School’s soccer teams are among several this year for the school’s athletic programs.

In November, the Reagan Raiders football team was among only 10 teams in the nation and the only one in Texas to be featured in the Sports Illustrated "Underdogs" series, which profiles athletic programs overcoming enormous hardships.


The Reagan Raiders, which were and still are in the midst of a comeback to rebuild the football program, finished third in Sports Illustrated’s national competition. The online competition allowed voters to pick the most compelling team of the 10 featured in the “Underdogs” series.

“At Reagan, we are trying to build more than just exceptional sports teams,” Carey said. “We’re trying to build young men and women of character, who can take the things they’ve learned in sports—such as working hard, working with a team and seeing a goal through—and apply them to their everyday lives. We are building a culture of character.”

For more information about the Reagan Raiders soccer teams, including a schedule of games and coaching staff, visit http://archive.austinisd.org/schools/website.phtml?id=021.