He stands with his knees bent and arms hanging to his sides. What lies behind him can change his fate forever. What lies before him is hurtling just to his right. A swift dive and extended arms are all it takes to silence his team before the cheering begins. It’s only a practice, but Fletcher Dietrich has shown that his skills from a lifetime of basketball make him a force to be reckoned with when standing guard at the soccer goal.

“The ball comes at you a lot quicker,” Dietrich said on the difference between basketball and soccer. “I’ve really never played soccer before, so coming in at the varsity level is really hard to do.”

This year’s soccer season is the first season of organized soccer that Dietrich has ever played. He chose to join the team this year because of the team’s lack of a goalie, and the union of these two has been a match made in heaven since day one.

“It’s awesome,” head coach Larry Scheller said. “We knew we needed a goalie. We tapped into some resources and called up the basketball coach, and his name came up. When I talked to him on the phone, he seemed excited and motivated. We’re excited to see him out there. I’m sure he’ll work hard on his craft and keep helping the team and making the team better.”

Scheller is not the only one praising Dietrich’s excitement and motivation for the game to get better. Coaches and teammates alike are spouting their love for Dietrich’s work ethic and commitment, but no one could be more proud of Dietrich than the one who knows him best- his father.

“I was shocked [at first] because he never played formal soccer before but I was excited,” father Todd Dietrich said. “His excitement level, regardless of the outcome, has been awesome. As long as he’s excited and positive, it’ll be a good outcome.”

There have been hurdles along the way, though. The skill sets between basketball  don’t completely line up. Soccer, on the whole, requires more agility and focus, while basketball calls for more lateral motion and strength.

“I need to be a lot quicker,” Dietrich said. “My hands have gotten a lot better, and my talking skills because soccer helps with communication.”

Dietrich has cleared these hurdles in practice and game simulations, and he, like most involved with the team, is looking forward to a great season on an improving team with a young core. They may have begun the season with a 1-0 loss to CBC on a goal that looked like illegal contact with the Knights’ keeper, but that Dietrich allowed just one goal to such a high-powered offense is a great sign for him moving forward in the season.

“The team’s excited to have him in goal,” Scheller said. “His work ethic is contagious. The team is looking good. We have great potential, and Fletcher’s a big part of that.”