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10/15/2024 11:56 AMNo matter his travels, both in his personal or athletic life, Ernesto Barrosa has always utilized his passion to perform to his max potential as a lifelong lover of soccer. It has led to him taking on the ultimate responsibility in his final foray at Hand.
Ernesto grew up in New York playing soccer before settling into Madison his freshman year, and then he later earned a call up to varsity towards the end of that season for the Tigers. This campaign, following his years of hard work and dedication for Hand that included switching positions, the current midfielder is a senior captain for the Tigers, who have fought their way to an impressive 11-1-2 record. He has also accumulated eight goals and 11 assists on the campaign.
“Everyone here welcomed me and made me feel at home, and we have a strong senior core that has been together since freshman year. My mom is Portuguese, so soccer has always been big in myself, and it is great to be in an environment here with people that actually love the sport,” says Ernesto. “I have just been putting in a lot of work in the offseason and behind the scenes, which has helped me. I also have teammates that build me up every day, no matter how good or bad I play. I also have great coaches who help me improve every day and push me.”
The marathon at midfield is something that can take a toll on Ernesto’s body. Yet while needing to address some elements of the job, he knows one thing that he can sink his teeth into is penetrating an opposing defense and subsequently having his way with the ball.
“The running part of being a midfielder is definitely brutal, but I love when I can attack another team’s back line,” says Ernesto. “I love doing that and being able to decide what I want to do with the ball. I think our team’s press is also so good. My defense is iffy, but I still play my heart out whenever I am back there.”
Ernesto recognizes the privilege of being selected as a standard bearer and representative for the Tigers. He details he has the right sense of holding himself to a higher standard, while having the acute ability to sustain rapport with each of his colleagues.
“It is an honor to be captain, and I am thankful to be chosen as one,” Ernesto says. “You need to have an accountability aspect as captain, while being able to help others. I feel I have good connections with all of my teammates. I feel I am in a good spot to be a captain.”
While his field assignment has always been in a state of flux, Ernesto has taken it all in stride. He can push the ball ahead with pinpoint accuracy, though he knows a player’s overall skill set is always a work in progress.
“I have played a lot of positions while here at Hand; I was a wing player, then I went to striker, and now I am at midfield, which is my favorite,” says Ernesto. “I think my biggest asset is my attacking; I can shoot the ball from pretty much anywhere. I think I am also good at playmaking and being involved in set plays. I need to work on everything honestly. No one is perfect, and I also need to work on being more confident consistently.”
A .500 campaign two years ago may have put a damper on Ernesto’s disposition, but he came right back the following fall for a big bolster to his emotions. He explains that no matter the ebbs and flows of feelings, his teammates have helped him weather any storm.
“Since I have been at Hand and grown, we went through a rough season my sophomore season, so building my confidence was hard,” says Ernesto. “But my junior year helped build it back up. Another thing that has helped my mentality are those teammates that are constantly boosting me up. Building up your mental game is a process, but with the teammates I have, it is like a problem that is not there.”
Hand boys’ soccer Head Coach Mike Shirley feels that Ernesto’s position is tailor-made for the type of competitor and player he is, given his well-rounded attributes. He is also someone who has grown into his own as a teammate.
“What makes Ernesto a standout soccer player is his ability to excel in a position that requires a mix of the hardest soccer abilities to master with vision, passing, and finishing. He has great vision when he receives the ball and has the ball striking ability to put the ball into places where his teammates can make plays from. That is why he has 11 assists on the season: his ability to collect the ball from a teammate, see the play he needs to make to lead to a goal, and execute,” says Shirley. “It has also been an amazing experience to watch Ernesto turn into a leader. I remember meeting him his freshman year, during preseason. He was a quiet kid who impressed with his ability. Now, he is the type of person other people gravitate to, and he uses that charisma to lead by example in training. Ernesto's growth as a leader, and his knack for knowing how, where, and when to lead is key to the success of our team.”
The Tigers want to certainly finish the job after pushing themselves out to such a strong regular-season mark. But Ernesto and the rest of Hand know their legacy goes beyond 2024–wanting to push the principles of what makes a program truly preeminent.
“We want to win states and maybe even SCCs this year obviously. We also want to continue having a winning record,” Ernesto says. “But we also want to continue building that strong core we have to set up the future of the team. We have to keep that structure here. We also need to keep learning life lessons through high school soccer, and building relationships.”