Fourth year varsity player fills captain role

As the winter approaches, the boys varsity soccer team once again endures the cold to practice and prepare for their season. No team can be successful without a leader. They need someone they can depend on in any situation. This year the team turns to senior and co-captain Jarrod Markarian.

For Markarian, soccer is not just a sport, it is a family tradition. His experience through the years makes him one of the best and most skilled players on the team. Not only do many of his family members play soccer but his dad, Matt Markarian, is the head coach for the team.

Coach Markarian loves his son’s determination on the field and his hardworking attitude regardless of what the scoreboard may say.

“Jarrod is one of our leaders and captains,” Coach Markarian said. “Jarrod is a tough player who helps anchor one of the best defenses in our section. Jarrod is at his best when he is winning a ball and playing a smart pass to the midfield to counter attack.”

Although coaching his own son is slightly different than coaching the other players, he still enjoys the time they spend together on the field.

“It is a very different dynamic coaching my son,” Coach Markarian said. “I have a tendency to be harder on him than the other players. But I will say I have fully enjoyed coaching him and will remember our time as coach and player very fondly for many years.”

Jarrod Markarian enjoys that his dad is the coach, but acknowledges that it brings extra pressure to the game.

“I like being on the team and being able to play with my friends and just having fun as a team,” Markarian said. “It’s a lot of extra pressure (having my dad as a coach), like it’s definitely a lot more eyes on you. There’s definitely a lot of things that he can’t say, it’s just a different dynamic.”

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Many of Markarian’s teammates look to him whenever they need help understanding a certain concept or when they want to become pushed to be better players. Although he is a senior, Markarian often takes the time to instruct the underclassmen on the team if they need help.

Teammate Brandon Brogan, ‘19, looks to Markarian as one of the leaders on the team and appreciates the effort he puts into each game.

“He’s a pretty good player,” Brogan said. “He really encourages us to do our best and he’s our captain so he is definitely one of the leaders on the team. He is very serious on the field and tries as hard as he can all of the time.”

One player who has known Markarian for most of his life is Jacob Bynum, ‘17. Bynum enjoys playing with Markarian on the soccer team and believes that they push each other to become better players.

“Jarrod and I have been best friends almost our whole lives,” Bynum said. “I think we have a different bond than most other players because we have been so close for so long. I feel like he listens better than most people do because of the respect but also because of the friendship that is not always there with just a regular soccer team.”

Markarian is respected by both his coaches and teammates alike for his work ethic, something he also believes is important to have in school.

In order to keep up with the busy schedule of school and sports, Markarian believes it is important to look ahead and finish as much work as he can ahead of time.

“Basically it’s just keeping on top of things, you can’t get behind on any projects,” Markarian said. “You just have to be up on all of your schoolwork and just kind of try and look ahead and see what I can do to make my plate a little easier. It’s definitely a struggle sometimes though.”

Aside from sports, Markarian is The Feather’s video editor and a photojournalist. He is currently on his third full year with the team. His time with The Feather team has given him unique job opportunities in the video industry already, such as creating his own photography website.

Markarian also competes on the boys varsity tennis team in the spring. In his freetime, Markarian enjoys spending time with friends and family.

Cheer on Markarian and the rest of the team at their next home game on Jan. 4. The boys will be playing against Paramount Academy.

To read another sports profile check out, Daniel Ayres brings intensity, passion to football team

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