Flying through the air, senior Midfielder, Austin Springer goes up for the header as he begins his first day of training with Real Madrid.  Being invited to train with an overseas national team is not something everyone gets to experience, but Springer was given a once in a lifetime opportunity.

“I got to see a different culture of soccer and life,” Springer said. “It really made me realize how they value it over there and how we value soccer here. The level of play was so much higher than back home.”

In the summer of 2019, Springer had the chance to go to Real Madrid, Spain, and train with their national team. He spent a week overseas training with national team coaches, and watching the national team play, as well as the U-17 team. With soccer being the most popular sport by far in Europe, it is not surprising to hear that is it a different atmosphere across the blue sea.

“This made me a better player overall because they teach things differently,” Springer said. “My vision on the field has improved, with my technical abilities, and pretty much every overall improved too.”

Springer plays the position of a midfielder for HSE, and when he got to see his favorite player, Luka Modrić, play in person, it was a dream come true. Springer relates to Modrić because of their height, with both of them being undersized for their position. He was able to bring this gained knowledge and understanding of his position back home, and the following fall of the same year, he would play his first year of varsity soccer.

Training with international players humbled him on and off the field,” said Springer’s father, Clay. “The skills and technique were unique and well thought. This opportunity was a dream that became a once in a lifetime experience.

Although the Royals fell to Noblesville in the 2019 sectionals, Springer hopes to help lead them to a sectional title this year. The Royals are currently undefeated, going 8-0-1 on the season so far, with Springer scoring his first varsity goal in the first game of the season against Mt. Vernon. With the second half of the season right around the corner, Springer looks to continue to use his knowledge from Real Madrid to keep the Royals on a winning path. Story by Lee Cook