CRLS Soccer Season Begins
Coach Meg Is Named New JV Boys Soccer Coach
September 28, 2018
It’s fall, so you know what that means: CRLS boys soccer has started up again and is in full swing. All three teams—freshman, junior varsity, and varsity—are looking strong. Varsity is aiming to win the Dual County League and go for a state tournament run. The JV and freshman teams cannot compete in the state tournament. However, they are both hoping to end up with a winning record. In addition, the two teams are developing players so they will enter varsity as well-rounded, skilled teammates.
The coaching staff for varsity has remained the same for the past few years, with Phil Fousek as head coach and Josh Bartholomew, Peter Barkett, and Todd Jensen as assistant coaches. The freshman team, however, has a new coach: Nico Emack. Coach Emack has never coached before, but he is an experienced soccer player who knows the game well. JV also has a new coach: Meg Willete. She is the first female coach in CRLS history to coach boys.
Coach Meg has had some experience coaching girls soccer, but this is her first time formally coaching a boys soccer team. However, Coach Meg has lots of experience playing soccer. She attended Lee University, where she played left wing for all four years. In fact, in her senior year, Coach Meg helped carry Lee University to a NAIA national championship, which they won. In addition to playing on the soccer team, Coach Meg spent two years playing on the varsity basketball team.
“Actually, it wasn’t much of a decision. I heard there was a spot open, so I took it.”
Basketball is actually what got Coach Meg involved with CRLS athletics. She has been a coach of the girls varsity basketball team for the past four years. When asked about her decision to coach the boys team over the girls team, she responded, “Actually, it wasn’t much of a decision. I heard there was a spot open, so I took it.”
So far, the boys JV team is off to a great start—they have two wins and two ties. The boys have confidence in their coach and are hopeful for the upcoming season.
Andrew Millar, a freshman on the JV team, said “[Coach Meg] is cool. She knows soccer really well.” Looks like the JV team is ready for a great season!
Sunil Zondervan, a sophomore on the team, agreed with Millar when it came to Coach Meg’s coolness. As for the historic nature of her coaching position? “She’s just a coach, if you know what I mean.” Zondervan continued, saying, “I don’t really know what the difference is.”
Charlie Bonney and Cecilia Barron also contributed to this report.
This piece also appears in our September 2018 print edition.
