“We’ve got a lot of competition for spots from not only upperclassmen, but also these new players coming in too that are pushing each other,” Hall said.
The influx of new players into the experienced core means an opportunity to forge a new identity. Hall looks forward to putting that to the test with a difficult schedule, but for now, he loves what he sees in training.
He complimented their work ethic and attitude toward challenging circumstances, and that makes him optimistic for what happens when hard situations hit.
“They always talk about like when you have tough times, you really find out what your teams are made out of, how they react to things,” Hall said. “I mean this group, they love a challenge. They love to work. It’s been the same MO with these kids the last couple years. They’re always positive, always looking for the next challenge.”
The road starts at the Lakeshore Shootout, where the Jags will face a pool of perennial contenders in John Carroll Catholic, Fort Payne and Calera in the Silver Division. That then leads to Foley and the Southern Shootout, where Robertsdale joins Class 7A foes Baker and McGill-Toolen Catholic on the schedule.
Spain Park will also test itself on the road at 5A runner-up Indian Springs, 6A semifinalist Gardendale and crosstown rival Hoover. That’s before the Jags get to area play, where they will face three likely top 10 teams. They’ll head to Chelsea and Briarwood for two of their final three area matches on April 7 and 14 before hosting Pelham in the area finale on April 17.
While those two 10-day stretches in March and April will be the biggest tests that Spain Park will face, Hall regularly stresses to his players to simply worry about themselves and let the rest take care of itself.
“I tell them all the time, ‘Guys, we don’t need to worry about the other team, worry about ourselves,’” Hall said.
As for what they will be themselves? That’s been one of the biggest conversations within a squad balancing a veteran core and the stars of the future.
Hall believes it starts with a solid foundation and builds on that with their attacking strengths. He thinks as long as they stick to their identity and play it to the best of their abilities, good things will happen along the way.
“I think collectively, we’ve all kind of said, ‘We want to be a team that’s very tough to play against, that’s very organized, very hard to break down, and is just really, really good and deadly and quick in getting behind you,’” Hall said. “So, I think that’s my main goal. If we come at the end of the year, and we say, ‘Hey, look, that was what we wanted to be and that’s what we were,’ I think that means we had a really successful year.”