Senior Spotlight

The Hortonville Polar Bears have had plenty of success in recent years on the pitch and, in 2025, captured a Fox Valley Association championship and made a run in the WIAA boys’ soccer state tournament to the sectional finals. A key to Hortonville’s winning ways has been Roman Glad, a multiple-time all-conference selection as well as the Fox Valley Association player of the year a season ago.

Roman began playing soccer at age four after his older brother, Dylan, introduced him to the sport.

The soccer striker’s will to compete is what piques his interest in sports: “My favorite part about all sports is being able to be competitive. I love having the opportunity to beat someone at something, especially at high levels. I’ve been able to play soccer at a high level through club programs, which made me all the more competitive. For a long time I was competing with my brother to try and be better than him and do better than him, but then it shifted to trying to be better than all of my opponents once my brother stopped playing, which has fueled me to keep playing my whole life.”

Roman is also a competitor in the classroom, “Balancing academics and athletics has gotten harder as I’ve gotten older. I’m taking lots of CAPP and AP classes, so it can be hard to stay on top of due dates and missing work when leaving for games. I’d say putting in even more time outside of school to learn material and get work done as classes have gotten harder is the biggest change.”

A standout in basketball as well, Roman believes his support system is his greatest asset while competing; “I would say all of my supporters. My family, friends, coaches, teammates, and community all support me every day, all the time. No matter where I see them, they are positive and encouraging, pushing me to work harder not only for myself, but also for them.”

A moment he shared with his brother on the soccer field was one that he will cherish after his days at Hortonville are over: “During my sophomore season, my brother was a senior, and we were both starting forwards for Hortonville. We had a weekend game against Green Bay Preble, and I scored two early goals, but right before halftime I had an assist to my brother, and it was a super cool moment because we got to celebrate together, against a team that was the Division 1 State runner-up that year.”

Roman gives credit to a particular coach in his youth for helping instill confidence in him: “Chad Rindt, he was my coach during youth basketball, from when I was in third grade to when I was in eighth grade. He helped me see how valuable my mentality/attitude, energy, and leadership were to me and my teammates. He helped me become more confident and comfortable being myself.”

The maturity Roman has gone through is apparent to him in his senior year: “To be honest, I am extremely proud of my growth in every aspect. I have learned to be comfortable within myself as an athlete and a student, and I don’t need to try and be someone else. When I was a freshman, I was always trying to compete with my brother and be like him, but I’ve learned that it’s cooler to be me instead of someone else.”