| By Jonathan Oglesby Moapa Valley Progress Published September 3, 2008
As the valley youth continue to adjust to back to school season, fans and followers of Moapa Valley athletics have also begun to trek around the state and surrounding areas to follow their teams. And two of the teams that the Pirate faithful will be following this year will be the Moapa Valley High School Boys and Girls Soccer programs. |
 |
||
| Over the past few years, both soccer programs have been going through a transitional period with new coaches and rising players hitting the scene. The years of adjustment have been filled with both excitement in the forms of the MVHS Lady Pirates making the playoffs two years ago and disappointment in the Pirates narrowly missing the playoffs last season. But now a new era has begun in Pirate Soccer; an era of reloading and rebuilding for the future. |
 |
In Boys Soccer, Head Coach Adam Lewis is entering his second year with the team and is hoping that the this season’s squad can build a stronger foundation for future squads.
“We’re building for the future right now,” Lewis said. “We only have 13 kids that have come out to play but we can play with that number, we just won’t have as many subs. Overall, we’re looking for a little bit of personal improvement and more fun. And hopefully next season, that attitude will recruit more kids,” said Lewis. |
| While Moapa Valley may not have enough athletes to field both a Varsity and JV squad, the Pirates have enough players to be able to make some noise at times. The most notable additions this season are freshmen goalie Robbie Babb and foreign exchange student Augusto Machado. Machado, who hails from Brazil, plays soccer regularly in his home country and has impressed the Moapa Valley coaching staff. “He has a rocket for a leg,” commented Coach Lewis.
On the Lady Pirate side, the Girl’s program is also in a period of transition with a new coaching staff. There is also a new group of girls who are going to have to fill the spots of several graduated stars from last season’s team. This season, Tina Holmstead and Norman Gutowski are coaching the Lady Pirates and have already made a significant impact on the mindset of the team. Already during the Lady Pirate workouts, strength and conditioning have been the common messages preached by the coaching staff in an effort to get a highly strong and athletic soccer team. Besides being in shape, the Moapa Valley athletes also are getting a strong education in the fundamentals to playing soccer intelligently. These fundamentals include defensive technique, offensive plays, and passing skills. Overall, Moapa Valley Soccer is in a new, but exciting, era where athletes, coaches, and fans have a chance to be a part of something special. Nobody knows right now but these steps could be the foundation of strong, winning programs in the future. |
 |
 |
