Friendship helps Gators succeed

     By Chris Jones
     View staff writer
      Over the past few years, success and an occasional amount of infighting have been the only constants associated with the girls' soccer program at Green Valley High School.
      Fortunately for first-year coach Ken Goettsche, this season's squad has managed to get along while maintaining its high level of play on the field.
      Despite having no seniors and a relatively new group of players, the Gators have jumped out to a hot start and have their sights set on a return to championship form.
      Goettsche credited his players' friendship as a contributing factor to the team's unexpected early development.
      "They're playing better than I thought they would as such a new team," Goettsche said. "They can communicate and are more open with each other."
      What a difference a year makes.
      Last season, Green Valley returned several key players to a team that had captured the Southern Conference championship in the 1997-98 season under coach Vince Hart.
      Hart stepped aside prior to the 1998-99 season, however, and trouble soon followed. J.B. Calabro, the team's star player and a noted supporter of Hart, ripped into her teammates and new coach Megan Johnson midway through the year and the Gators struggled to find a sense of unity.
      Although they managed to enter postseason play as the valley's No. 1 seed last year, the Gators were sent packing following a 1-0 loss to Bishop Gorman High in the first round of the playoffs.
      Both coach and players agreed such problems don't exist at the school this year.
      Junior Jennifer Breeden, who's seen the good and bad during her tenure with the team, said this year's batch of Gators have gelled thanks to their off-the-field relationships.
      "We're close," Breeden said. "We all hang out; we're buddies. A lot of us have classes together and we just get along really well.
      "We have improved a lot since the beginning because we have such a young team. The communication has gotten a lot better."
      Said junior Gretchen White: "There's no animosity on the team, and that makes it a lot easier."
      Breeden said the players set goals before each game and encourage each other to achieve them as a means of motivation.
      "After the game, we'll see if we've accomplished (the goals)," she said. "And that's been really helpful."
      Goettsche may have had some initial concerns about team chemistry, but he hasn't had to worry about a lack of talent on the field. While he would like his players to polish up on basic skills, most of the girls have developed their talents by participating on club teams which play year-round.
      "It's nice for me because they're always playing soccer," Goettsche said.
      Goettsche is also benefitting from knowing his players, thanks to his experience coaching the girls' junior varsity team last year before taking over the school's boys' and girls' varsity programs in 1999-2000.
      "I had all of these girls, except for the four freshman, last year," Goettsche said. "I knew how they played and what they could do, and I think the girls are attuned to what I expect them to do."
      Another of the team's veterans, junior Sarah Sillitoe, said the team has already progressed under Goettsche's relaxed leadership style.
      "We realize this is a building season," Sillitoe said. "The challenge has been trying to get to know each other and how we play. É It gets better as you learn how fast (other players) move or where they like the ball."
      Despite the team's learning curve, Goettsche said winning another Southern Conference championship isn't out of the realm of possibilities.
      "These girls are progressing to the level where they're going to peak at the right time," Goettsche said. "I'd like to see some more tough games early in the year, though. When a team experiences a tie or defeat, it lets them know they've got to pick it up and be serious about the games."
      Goettsche is also optimistic about the program's long-term future, including another run with his core players in 2000-2001.
      "I look at how well we're doing with the inexperienced girls we have," he said. "Next year, we'll be that much better."