New Year, New Position Hernandez-Lopez finds player identity while frequently changing positions

By Megan Hutchinson, For The Mountain Times

New year, new position. For most high school athletes, that phrase represents a rare, demanding pivot. For junior soccer player Santiago Hernandez-Lopez, it’s tradition. For the third consecutive season on the Sandy High School boys soccer team, Hernandez-Lopez has had to completely change his game mindset. Despite this constant pivoting, he drives himself to find his ultimate place on the field. 

Hernandez-Lopez began playing soccer his freshman year, and he was placed on JV as a right wing, an offensive position. “My brain was wired to play to get the ball up, not think about how to maintain it in the middle or find passes,” Hernandez-Lopez explained. His main goal was to score or cross the ball in. He also played as a left wing for several games, with the same goal. Sophomore year, his mentality was forced to swap as he was moved to varsity as a defensive position.

“Sophomore year, I started off as a wing for the summer season and then got moved to right back,” Hernandez-Lopez said. This meant he played further back and was no longer focused on scoring. “Having to change my mindset into being slower, finding passes, and getting myself out of difficult situations was a hard change.” Just when Hernandez-Lopez grew accustomed to his new position, he was moved again. The change was less drastic, however, as he remained a defensive player.

“I think this year I’ve found my definitive spot as a center back, and I’m ok with that,” Hernandez-Lopez said. He feels the pressure of being the last line of defense before the ball reaches the goalkeeper, but he understands that his newest position works well for him. “I was told I have the speed and the mentality to be a defensive player, and I think we’ve established that as my player identity.” Player identity and purpose on the team is something Hernandez-Lopez has struggled with since beginning soccer. This may be explained by his relatively late start to the sport, as he didn’t begin playing until high school.

“My grandpa would always turn on the tv in the living room and watch soccer. I’d walk in and watch with him. My cousins always played. My family would talk about soccer, and we’d watch soccer at parties” Hernandez-Lopez detailed. 

Though soccer played such a main role in his family, he was unable to play for many years due to the lack of a school team. 

“High school finally gave me the chance to play soccer, and that’s big.” Hernandez-Lopez is motivated to play his best for his family, and he has the desire to not fall behind his teammates. “Seeing my peers keep themselves in shape and get better, it makes me want to stay active and keep up with them.” Although constantly working hard to match his teammates, he balances extracurriculars at the same time.

Hernandez-Lopez has participated in choir, basketball, mock trial, and theater while in high school. There is a struggle in “getting schedules down and constantly being stressed to see if your schedules overlap or not,” he said, but he believes the stress is “manageable and kind of fun.”

The SHS soccer team almost made it to play-offs last year, and with the recent drop to 5A, Hernandez-Lopez is hopeful for the season. He has already made improvements since last season, gradually gaining maturity and composure as a player. It is certain he will be able to hold his own against the new 5A teams. 

As for next year, when asked if he will change positions again, he responded “I certainly hope not.”