Playing Dirty

In the end, they know it will all wash off in the shower.

After the cold, wet mud, the hot water is a shock to ninth- graders Liz Korb and Courtney Firth, but it’s also a relief. The girls of the varsity and junior varsity soccer teams at Santa Monica High are taking a lesson from the muddy playing fields they practice in: The road to success is not always paved.

But if Courtney falls in a little mud, top, she knows she can count on her teammates’ help. And, hey, if shoes and socks get dirty, well that’s all in a good day’s work. So 10th-grader Nicole Boyer keeps her eyes on the ball, and senior Mandi Berman keeps her arms on Nicole.

Alison Sultan and Megan Shea, both ninth-graders, can relax because it’s OK for girls to get down and dirty.

In the end, it will all wash off.