Soccer balls bounced around a crowded Saville Theater when the San Diego City College Visual and Performing Arts department performed their rendition of The Wolves.

The Wolves is a play about an indoor girls soccer team navigating life and dealing with modern issues in a coming-of-age story.

The play was directed by City College professor of dramatic arts Katie Rodda and for the soccer portions of the play, former City College soccer coach and current professor of health and exercise science Andi Milburn, was brought in to coach the actors.

The play begins with the team preparing to start the season when a new girl No. 46, played by Shannon Pedroza, joins the team. The characters don’t have names, but instead, they are recognized by the number on their jerseys.

The entirety of the play takes place on the field in between while the girls are practicing before or after their games on weekends.

At the beginning of the story, you’ll think this is your usual typical sports team winning the final, but as the story progresses you see the bond of the team as they come together and see each character grow while they develop their own unique personality.

The girls tackle many challenging and sensitive issues such as immigration, terminal illness, sexuality, sexual assault, abortion and death.

The actors did a fantastic job bringing these characters to life whether it was delivering funny lines like No. 13 played by Kiandra Garner, or being a believable team captain like No. 25 played by Leigh Bartley.

One of the takeaways from the play was how realistic everything felt, whether it was the stage that had actual turf laid out or the soccer portions of the play, it looked like an actual soccer team practicing.

Overall ‘The Wolves’ was a fun time and a great demonstration of what can be done when sports and art come together. The actors did such a terrific job that they left you wanting to see more from these characters, it truly felt as if you were a fly on the wall watching a real soccer team.

For more information on the drama program and the upcoming presentation “Imogen Says Nothing,” visit here