Bella Granada values team dynamic at Cedar Park
Photo credit: Zach Smith
Bella Granada was nine years old when her competitive golf career ended.
There was one girl she really wanted to beat, so when she won a state title, Granada decided to go out on top and shift her focus to a sport that had much more of a team dynamic.
The senior midfielder has had many moments that have made her proud to be part of the Cedar Park soccer program.
"I've been on a lot of soccer teams, and of course everyone says they're your family, but with Cedar Park soccer, it really is," Granada said. "That's everything we preach in practice and every game. We're working for each other.
"You can be on the field ready to throw up because you're so tired, but when you look over and see someone doing just as much work as you are, it's like you can't stop."
Granada has spent the last three full seasons on varsity, and the Timberwolves have made the playoffs all three years. They made a run to the regional semifinals during her sophomore year in 2018.
Granada said head coach Jeff Gamble has come up with some unique terminology that would sound like gibberish to anybody else within earshot. As a midfielder, she knows exactly what to do when her role is explained as "butter churning."
One of her favorite on-field memories actually came in a loss.
In the regional semifinals her sophomore year, Cedar Park scored three second-half goals to tie Kingwood Park and force overtime. The Timberwolves would lose in the second overtime period, but Granada saw her teammates' true colors during the match.
"We would fall down a goal and then we would look to an older player and it was as if nothing had happened," she said. "That's when I really fell in love with Cedar Park soccer. When you're in such a big game, and everything is so intense, you can turn to another player and know we're still in this."
Cedar Park has clearly been blessed with a lot of talented players that have helped the Timberwolves consistently make the playoffs and challenge for the district title - they won it this year.
But Granada said Gamble is an extraordinary coach and has played an enormous role.
She said she's had a lot of coaches that are invested in the game and their players, but Gamble takes it up a notch, a unique trait for a girls' coach.
"He cares about your well being more than he does any win," Granada said. "He found the perfect mix to make you feel loved as a coach. He brings his kids around, and he tells us he'd be lucky if his kids turn out like us. I think that's the kindest thing."
Whether the high school soccer season resumes is still up in the air. The UIL has suspended all sanctioned activities due to the COVID-19 outbreak until further notice. The earliest games can resume is May 4.
Regardless, Granada's soccer career is far from finished, as she's committed to play at UT-Dallas next season. And she's majoring in psychology, hardly a surprise for someone who started her athletic career in a cerebral sport like golf.
When Granada was an underclassman, she was always watching the older girls. There was a social hierarchy, which had its pros and cons. It showed her what she thought a leader should look like, and it allowed her to put it into practice when she stepped into a leadership role this season.
"The younger girls have appreciated it, and we've been able to connect better," Granada said. "You want to play over me? Ok, I'm going to help you get there. Because one day I'm going to be gone and it's going to be you. Might as well train with me than work against me."
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Originally published at hillcountrynews.com: https://www.hillcountrynews.com/stories/bella-granada-values-team-dynamic-at-cedar-park,81976