Hoffer's High School Sports
Hoffer's High School Sports
Andy Higgins
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The former Yarmouth girls' soccer coach talks about taking over at Gorham, his memories of his triumphant time with the Clippers and many of the great players he got to coach.
Hi. How are you? I'm good. It's inspiring. Can you believe it? I'm happy. Yes, it's your time of year, and you know, we'll see if the weather's going to cooperate. But, you know, it's very easy to be thinking about baseball and softball and all that fun stuff right now.
SPEAKER_00I mean, do you even care you're going to turn style and less than 12 hours?
SPEAKER_01I'll care and I'll care more when I get back. Um and then I'll really get into it. But you know, you need these breaks to get you through. And it it's it's been nice having a little bit of time after you know the basketball season was tremendous and hockey as well. Uh but it's it's so time consuming, especially the postseason is so exhausting, and you know, it was wonderful. But you know, needed a little break, and uh you know, and I'm not gonna apologize for it, and I'll be ready to roll when uh when the games start here very soon.
SPEAKER_00Well this is your this is your last two rah before uh before June, right? I mean well it'll be probably July by the time you're done right now.
SPEAKER_01That's true. But I mean it'll be spring, you know, spring's great because it's a very short season, it's it's intense, you know, it's games pretty much every day. And you know, that that stretch in June when you have playoffs, it's it's two really, really busy weeks. But you know, compared to winter and even a fall, I think spring's the easiest of the seasons, and it'll be a lot of fun. And you know, while we're thinking about baseball and softball on lacrosse, the tweet of five is actually gonna rewind back to the fall, if you will, or ahead to the fall. And uh big change in the girls' soccer coaching world where Andy Higgins, the uh the coach at Yarmouth, very successful coach, uh, won a couple state championships there, had them in the regional final last year. Uh he announced recently that he's leaving the Clippers to become the new girls coach at Gorham, uh replacing Gene Zarilli, who did a terrific job there, also winning multiple state titles, one of the great programs in class A. So wanted to sit down and get a chance to talk to Coach Higgins about, you know, take take moving, making that move. He lives in Gorham. It's certainly uh I think family reasons were a big impetus for this. Uh but he also reflected on his time at Yarmouth and uh and you know he was part of a great tandem there where he was the girls' coach, Mike Haggerty, the boys' coach.
SPEAKER_00Sounds like he's just missing Haggerty. That's what I'm that's what I'm wanting to do.
SPEAKER_01I think I you know, I I don't know. I don't think he'll miss him. You don't know if he'll miss him too much, but I think he's gonna be staying on in Yarmouth to teeth. So he'll get his will and they and they coach together uh you know in the premiere world too. So uh but no, I just I one thing I really admire about Coach Higgins is he wears his heart on his sleeve. He's very emotional, he cannot talk about his girls without sometimes breaking down. Um, you know, it's it's it's you you can see how passionate he is for and uh you know he had some amazing experiences there at Yarmouth and had a chance to reflect on that and look ahead, and it's gonna be a great opportunity. And you know, they figure to be uh one of the top teams, I think, uh, this coming year. So even though we're not gonna be talking about soccer for a while, I thought this was a good time to, you know, at least you know address the coaching change and and talk about all that. So you know, it was definitely a good conversation. Very pleased to be joined this week by Andy Higgins, the former Yarmouth Girl Soccer Coach, the new girl soccer coach at Gorham High School. Coach, thanks for joining me. Well, thanks.
SPEAKER_02Thanks for taking the time to hang out. I appreciate you know any opportunity I have to talk with you.
SPEAKER_01So let's start right there. Um, you are going to take over for after Jean Zarelli stepped down. She's now at Southern Maine Community College. Gorham's one of the uh the plumb jobs in the Southwestern Maine Activities Association, and you're the new coach at Gorham. Congratulations. How does that feel? Thank you. It's it's exciting.
SPEAKER_02Um, it's it's a new chapter, it's gonna be a fun chapter. You know, we we live in Gorham, my kids go to Gorham. This is gonna give, you know, I think a better opportunity for my family and to give me an opportunity to to watch my kids play and still stay involved with something that I really enjoy and love. Um so it's it's a new chapter and it's an exciting chapter. It's sad to close the door on what we have have done here, but um the response here has been great, and the response in Gorham's been great. I met the kids last week, we had our first meeting, and a lot of excitement, a lot of fun kids, and we're really looking forward to getting started.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, how tough a decision was it for you? How conflicted were you to leave Yarmouth? And you know, I understand the reasoning, but you know, you've you've had some great kids and great times here.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, um, it was brutal, um, to be honest with you. And I think the the piece that really cemented the decision was um I was reminded that it's really hard for me to preach to the kids about putting your family first and not do it. Um, and there's never an opportune time to do it. You know, you look at what Yarmouth has coming back and coming up, and it's it's it's loaded and it's strong, and and it's a really strong soccer group, but it's better kids. Yeah. Um, and it's something I'll miss. But I think ideally, a lot of what we do and everything we do is based on relationships, and I think those relationships are gonna stay in place. And I think all the kids here hopefully know that my phone number is never gonna change, and if they need something in two days, two weeks, two months, two years, two decades, I'm gonna answer and do the best I can to help them.
SPEAKER_03Right.
SPEAKER_01Uh, you've spent a lot of time in the Western May Conference, which is a fabulous level of play for soccer. SMAA, Class A. I mean, that's that's as competitive as it gets. What are your thoughts about stepping up into the quote unquote big time to take nothing away from what Yarma Tape, Greeley, Freeport do now?
SPEAKER_02Absolutely. Yeah, I think it's I think they're pretty, they're pretty equal. I think that's, you know, I think in my opinion, they're the top two conferences. I think it's one and one A, and I think each year those can be interchangeable. Um, as you out you have your traditional powers, and then you have teams that make runs throughout the year. So in both conferences, the schedule is really tough. Um, and there's no nights off. So you've got to be prepared, you've got to prepare your kids. And the the difference this year will be I don't have, you know, yet the depth of knowledge that I do of in the background of the Western Main Conference that I do in the SMAA, but we're working on it and we're slowly picking away it, getting some information, figuring out what we have for a team and what other teams will have and what our strengths will be and how we want to move forward.
SPEAKER_01Right. I mean, how familiar are you with their program? I mean, you don't see them in the regular season. You you know, you didn't know this was coming, so you didn't get a chance to really scout them last year. But yeah, how is that what the summer's for? I mean, is that when you're gonna get up to speed?
SPEAKER_02Um, I think so a little bit. I think I'm gonna focus a lot more on what we're gonna do and how we're gonna do what what our strengths are best. Um, you know, fortunately we've scrimmaged some of those, you know, traditional SMA powers in pre- and postseason. So we have an idea of what some teams have and and styles and patterns they like to play. But uh there'll be a lot of film watching. You know, we're still gonna be in the challenge cup over here where a lot of those teams are gonna be. So I'll try to spend more time uh watching and and uh seeing what I can come up with. But really the focus for me is gonna be getting our kids, you know, where we want to be, utilizing our strengths and getting us ready and taking care of us first, and then we'll, you know, step by step look at the rest of the conference.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, having done this before, making a move and basically starting over and not having a whole lot of time to get up to speed, having done it before, that's gotta help, right?
SPEAKER_02I think so. I think that it's it helped me understand, you know, when I transitioned from gray to Yarmouth, uh, what things that went well, what things when you look back and say, oh, I wish I did that differently. And so those are things that I've kind of prioritized on my list of to get done. So when we hit the ground running in June, we can we can get flying around. Yeah. So let's go back. You were an Ellsworth Eagle once upon a time, right? That's where you grew up. Yeah, I grew up in Ellsworth. I was an Eagle. I played for Brian Higgins, which interestingly enough, no relation. So I had a legendary coach, though. Really great coach, and he um that's where I really learned, and he taught me a lot about the game and a lot about community involvement. I think the big piece with Ellsworth for me was I was a ball boy from third grade through eighth grade, and then jumped in the program. So I couldn't wait, wait to be the next Eagle. And all those guys that came before me, I couldn't wait to to, you know, wear the jerseys that they wore. And they all treated all the the youth in the community, I mean, just like you were part of the team. Um, and so that for me is where my belief in it's a community environment uh came from. And um that's a big piece of what I tried to move forward. And and I took a lot away from Coach Higgins, but that's the big piece, is getting involved with the community. And that's that's what we're trying to do in Gorham. We've met with um GYSA to talk about what we can do to get the girls involved there. And next week we're hoping to meet with the rec department and get involved because I think you know, a high school varsity team is really part of the entire program. The entire program is the whole community. So that's that's the big takeo I had from Ellsworth was that making it a community, involving all the young kids and getting people excited to be the next Eagle. And now I'm, you know, trying to get them excited to be the next Rams. Right.
SPEAKER_01You was soccer always your sport growing up, or were there other sports too?
SPEAKER_02I played all three. I played soccer, basketball, and baseball. Um, my first love was soccer. I enjoyed it, and I think that was just because of the consistency Brian had. When I was in high school, we had a couple different basketball coaches, um, one baseball coach, but my brother was a very good player, and all those players took care of us and took us under their wing. So it was um, it was my, you know, my top sport, and and we experienced some success. We had a run to a state final one year, which was awesome. And um more so than winning that title, it's the friendships and the relationships we had with those guys, and and I don't see them as much or talk to them as much as I'd like to, but think about them and those experiences often. You know, those are more the memories you take away than you know, winning a gold ball. What is it about soccer that you're passionate about? I think I love the creativity, the differences, how you and I can both look at the same game and see something completely different, and coaches see things completely different, and the chess match of they're doing X, Y, and Z, we're trying to do A, B, and C, and it's not working. So what's next? Having plan A, plan B. I think I love the idea, the preparation piece. There's no timeouts, there's a halftime, there's no timeouts. So you've got to be dialed in with plan A, plan B, and plan C, and then maybe even a plan D, depending on what people do. Um it's interesting because you talk to people who may not be soccer fans and they're like, well, the game's won nothing. That's boring though. A zero, zero, or one-nothing could be one of the most beautiful. So uh it's just something I've always liked, it's something I've always appreciated. I'm terrible with my hands, so not great with my feet, but it's something I enjoyed.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. And, you know, it kind of like baseball in the sense you fail a lot more than you succeed. Yeah. So, you know, that's if that's not for everybody, but it makes it that much more gratifying when you do succeed. And, you know, you see some of these amazing goals and plays, and there's a lot of great athletes out there, but very few that can be great soccer players, I feel like.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I agree. I think you hit the nail on the head right there. It's a you know, and and and most goals aren't individual efforts, it's a collection of activities and movements and moments that are put together to create something pretty cool. That if you think about it, scoring goals is hard. Absolutely. And they're worth celebrating because you don't get them very often. Your games aren't 45-40. No, no, it's two ones a good one.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, no doubt.
SPEAKER_02So after high school, did you play in college? I did. I went to USM. Okay, uh, I had you know played for four years at USM, and they weren't four consecutive years because I had an adverse relationship with going to classes and learning. You're not alone, yeah. Learned the hard way that that's not a good move, and I think that's why I'm such a pain in the butt to the kids for the academics. But uh at USM, we weren't necessarily uh a super strong team. We had three coaches in four years, but met a lot of really good people, um, and a lot of guys who are coaching collegiately in the high school level now, so a really good collection of friends that we bounce ideas and and talk to each other. Um during that time, I I, you know, it was a tough time for me at USM. My father passed away at that time. And actually, that was the year that Bobby Murphy, the current Hearts of Pine coach, um came to USM. And, you know, we knew the players knew that Bobby was special in the way he coached the game, but more how he treated people. And, you know, Bobby showed up and he brought, you know, Matt Tady, who was an assistant coach in Jeff Boston, who, as I mentioned, you know, my father passed away and it was a tough time for me. And they, I think they I was going in the wrong direction, and they really helped me get me on back on track. And, you know, those guys mean a lot to me, and that's that's a memory I'm gonna take from USM and cherish for forever.
SPEAKER_01So tell me how you got involved in coaching. Is it something you always wanted to do, or did you kind of stumble onto it?
SPEAKER_02It's something I think I wanted to do. I think my original goal was to be I, you know, um Coach Higgins and Ellsworth, who I mentioned earlier, was the PE teacher and coach, and that was something I always thought I would like to do, and I always thought I'd end up coaching at Ellsworth. You know, oddly enough, we play them in a state final not long ago. Strange as heck. But um, and shortly after I graduated from USM, my uh my girlfriend at the time, who's now my wife, went to graduate school at all Dominion, and I had nothing keeping me here. So away we went, and I ended up um being a substitute teacher at a private school and a middle school soccer coach in the fall, and then the public schools played in the spring, and I uh was at Bayside High School. This is normally when I make a joke about Zach Morris and Kelly Kapowski weren't there, but I've learned as you know, the newer kids come in, they have no idea what the heck I'm talking about. Uh but I I I was with the boys and girls teams at Bayside, and then we moved back here, and um, you know, that's when I went to Gray, and I was a middle school coach at Gray for a year, and then uh Mike De Heatri, who was the varsity coach at the time, stepped away. Um, and that opened the door, and and I took the boys' job at Gray. Um, and it's it, you know, and somewhere in that progression from the private school to to baseide to gray, like just a passion uh and a and a love intensified. And it it's it's something that I just you know I absolutely enjoy now.
SPEAKER_01You've coached both boys and girls. Not everyone does that, but you've had a you know the opportunity to do that. What differences do you see? What similarities do you see? Because I hear there's a lot more similarities than differences more often than not. I think there is.
SPEAKER_02I think it's with whether you coach boys or girls, it's it's connecting with the kids and and how do you connect with them and how do you form relationships with them to let them trust you and trust your ideas? I think the way you give feedback to all kids is different. I think you you might be able to say things a little more stern to boys, but there are some girls that want feedback that way. Um so I think I don't see a lot of differences. I think there's a lot of similarities, but it's really how you connect with those kids and how you help those kids understand that you're there and you have their best interest in mind and you're gonna push them to reach a level that you know they may not have been able to get to on their own. Um I think when they can trust you and that relationship is strong, boys or girls, they're gonna they're gonna strive and try to reach those goals and push forward.
SPEAKER_01How many years are you at Gray? I think it was seven. Okay, seven or eight. And you know, that's not a top-tier program in the conference. So you're going up against Greeley and Mike Andreessen and Yarmouth and Mike Haggerty and Cape and Ben Raymond, and I don't know if Dave and Falmouth were still in the league at that point. Absolutely. But I mean, so I imagine you took a few lumps during that during that time. We did.
SPEAKER_02We we definitely did. And Falmouth was there. Hags, of course, was was at Yarmouth and Andreasen, um, Ben, all great guys, all who um, you know, a huge shout out to all of them because all in their own ways have helped me throughout my journey. Um, but we did take some lumps. And you know, getting to Gray, it was when we got there, it was uh a time where there were some inconsistencies with playoff births and maybe results in the playoffs. And we were really proud that, you know, when we got out of there, with the exception of one year, the kids experienced two rounds of the playoffs every year. And so we grew. Um I think we grew the program. I think I think we reached our ceiling. It's really hard when you know we we had awesome kids, like some kids that I still keep in touch with, that still reach out, that are amazing. And and we came up against teams that were just a little bit better and a little bit deeper than us, but I feel like we were always prepared. I think they always bought in. You know, I remember we had a great, epic battle with Hags here in the semifinals one year, and we lost in uh we lost an overtime on an Adam LeBrie header on the back post. I mean, Hags still gives me a hard time about it. And Vig U was on that team, who's a really good friend. We worked together. He still sends me a text once a year with a picture of them celebrating. But I feel like we we held our own in a really tough conference. And we had really good games with all of those teams, and we had games that went um, you know, the other way. Here's an interesting one for you. I think it was 2016. We lost to Hags 2-0 in the second round. And uh there was an article by a Hofer guy about how I don't remember how it was phrased. It was like Gray, Gray hasn't beaten Yarmouth, maybe scored, or maybe hasn't crossed midfield in 23 years. And I remember thinking, like, the hell with this guy. Like, I haven't been there for 23 years. Little did you know, yeah. Little did I know that like it's it was kind of like I'm never gonna talk to that guy, and that would have been a huge regret because I do want to say, like, what you do is amazing and how you highlight all the kids. And I will forever argue that if we took a box of rocks and dumped it on a table and you wrote an article about how those rocks fell, it would sound like game seven of the Stanley Cup final.
SPEAKER_01So some people would say I'm no smarter than that box of rocks.
SPEAKER_02I'm right there with you. So, so yeah, so that's you know, that that was we did compete at Greg, we worked really hard and and we had such awesome kids and families, and and um I think back fondly of all those times and the kids, the families, the staff, you know, Mike Deheatree, who I mentioned, is still a good friend that I reach out to a lot. And Mike, if you're listening, as always, is a door open on my staff anytime for you. So come on.
SPEAKER_01When you heard the Yarmouth girls job was open, what appealed to you about that position? It it was interesting because it was a teaching job, kind of a uh a lateral move to come to Yarmouth to teach, and the girls' soccer job was open.
SPEAKER_02Um and and I took a shot at it. You know, Yarmouth is a really great place um for both academics and athletics. And it was something I wanted to take a shot at. And I think I'm really fortunate because it's not often that you can get a teaching and soccer position at the same time to align. Right. Interestingly, that the year I, you know, I came over here to Yarmouth in 2019 and in 2018, the season before I came. Um it was, you know, however the time frame aligned, we were at Wells. It was like the day, last day you could play, it was a monsoon, and we had to play a game at Wells, and Yarmouth girls had to play the game before. So we pulled in, we parked our bus behind where our bench would be while the Yarmouth girls were playing. And Coach Deheetri said, he was he's watching the Yarmouth girls, and he's like, God, they're so good. What would you do with a team like that? It's like I'd screw it up, you know. And you know, I don't know if we did screw it up again. It was just interesting to think about that, about like that thought about what you do with a team like that. And then you end up with with that team. Um, so that's you know, the the opportunity to come over and take both over was appealing. And of course, you know, Mike and I have been good friends for a long time, and and I spent a lot of time in his here, and and um he really helped me get acclimated here and involved, and and it was really nice to see the community feel here for soccer between the boys and girls and the youth all the way through. It's a really special place, right? Um, you know, Mike says it all the time, it's what makes Yarmouth special, and yeah, he's right. He's right.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, first year you can't get by Cape, which was in the middle of a great run at that point. Your second season is is a shortened COVID year. Yeah. I mean, what was that like? You got to play a few games, but nothing was normal at that point. You know, you couldn't have fans, everyone had to wear masks. You got you played, like I said, a you know, limited amount of games, but but at least it was something, right?
SPEAKER_02And I I think that's how we looked at it was with something. And we wanted to make sure we enjoyed every day because it could have ended the next day. Every day you're on the field could have been your last, so make sure you enjoy it. Um, and we did, and it was an opportunity, and it's a little bit different in varsity sports, is we we made it an effort to get everyone into everyone game because there was no heel points, there was no playoffs, there wasn't there was nothing. So I think we made the best out of a tough situation, like a lot of places did, and we were really fortunate for all the work that went into to allow us and all these teams to play. Um, because I think it's an important part, it's an important part of the kids' day, it's an important part of our day. It's released for a lot of people. So we were really thankful to have that opportunity to be together. Um and grateful that we, even though it was shortened, that we got something out of it. Yeah, especially for the seniors, you know, that that was a really special group of seniors, and you'd hate to see them miss that last year, and they made the best of it and they really led. But you know, it could have been, I'm sure it was hard for them to know this is my final year. I don't have a shot. You know, we had a good team. We don't we're not gonna have a shot to make a run, but we have something, and their attitudes were amazing and great, and that pulled everyone else through.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Yeah, 2021 Cape wins again. Yeah, they're expected to win again in 2022. York shocks them in the semis all of a sudden, yeah. There's a wide open road, not an easy road, but all of a sudden the road is open for you guys to make a run of your own, which you did, and it was not easy for a lot of reasons. But what did that championship run mean to you?
SPEAKER_02Um it was, and you know me, right? I'm gonna tear up about everything. So um it was uh it was it was awesome. It was a dream come true. It's something I always wanted to do as a coach. And you actually realize like that that title is it is awesome and it's amazing. Uh that collects and that fades, and uh this is where if we were at a banquet, all the kids would be doing the wave because I know I do this. Um it's the kids and the relationships and the moments, and that one was tough too because Kate was supposed to win, and and and this is still a hard time for me. Is um uh Reagan Sullivan in that game. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And what she went through, yeah, severe concussion. Oh ambulance came, took her away. Yeah, it took her in the middle of the game, right?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, they we helped load her in the ambulance at halftime, like our whole halftime was the referees yelling at us that we've been over 10 minutes to get back, and it was it was hard. And the whole halftime speech was go win it for her. Right. Um and they did. Yeah. And you think about what what Eden Young did to step in, you think about what all the kids did. They all stepped up in their own way. And the only regret I have about that game is we didn't celebrate we reagan.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you know, sorry. No, but as life sometimes works out, you did get to do it the next year. And you did get to celebrate with her. And she was in that. And it was a you know a great story and another great team. And this time you guys probably were the team to beat, and you were able to take care of business and win and win the state game with you know relative ease more so than the year before. But of course you did it against your uh your alma mater. So yeah, you just can't seem to escape these heavy emotions, these, you know, this the storybook finishes kind of thing.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it was that that's that next year. Um I think on paper we were the favorite. And that's there's still a lot of pressure to repeat, and you get everyone's best effort. And our schedule that year was brutal.
SPEAKER_03Right.
SPEAKER_02Um we played Cape Three times. You know, we've lost the opener in over time at Greeley, and that might have been the best thing for us because it refocused us. Um and and that group, I'm not sure I've ever had a more connected group with a vision. There was a huge, I think it was 17 seniors that year who were all best friends, who all pulled for each other, and that just led um to a great chemistry and a great dynamic. And I think one piece of all of uh over the run over those two years that that I'm not sure it happens if this doesn't take place, was and it I think it dials into the team first mindset that we always talk about was going into 21, um Nina Panazzo was always Nina Panazzo's a phenomenal athlete, better person. And she was always like an attacking type player. And I watched her, I helped Sarah out, you know, doing the scoreclock at a basketball game, and I watched her on a one-person press against York, and they couldn't get past mid-court, and something clicked. Like, I wonder if she could, you know, play in the back and get forward with her athleticism. And she and I had a conversation, and you know, the long and the short of it, she was like, if you think it's best for the team, I'll do it. And she, I mean, she did it. She was so good. But when one of your leaders, and even as a sophomore, Nina was a leader, for her to step up and put the team first, like, people follow suit and they see that. And it really solidified an area of our team where we were strong, but this made us super strong in that area. And we still had a lot of offensive power, firepower. So I think that's one of the pieces that went that didn't get enough attention was that that selfless attitude that she showed and how other kids followed her lead. Um, when you go back to 22, you know, we we we lost that first one. Um, we tied NYA, I think a little bit later, and you get in you get in the playoffs, and we played gray at home. Um and got out of that one, and the announcement was made that York beat Cape. And all the kids had their eyes on on um in Cape, and Cape was really good that year. And you know, then you go play York in the regional final. You remember we got down one-nothing early, yeah, and then we tied it, and then you know, we got up one, they tied it. It was a it was a really a great high school game for people that were there. Um, you know, actually, I think I'm on the wrong year. No, yeah.
SPEAKER_01I'm on the 21 season. That's the 21 season. Yeah, gosh, the 2022 was the regional final against Cape where they scored first. Yes, Big Noel scored first, and then Anya won or two.
SPEAKER_02And then we got the late one, and then we went to Ellsworth. Yeah, sorry, I get mixed up.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's a good problem to have when you have that many.
SPEAKER_02Um that was a tough one because you know Brandon's a good friend of mine, right? And it's tough, but I think both of us have a mutual respect for each other, and we know for 80 minutes we're not gonna like each other that much, but we'll get over it. And then we went to play Ellsworth. It's funny because you were the one that told me that you're probably gonna end up playing Ellsworth, and there it was. And the interesting thing with Ellsworth was there were a lot of guys that I was teammates with whose kids were on the team. And there was a, you know, there's a um one of the moms was a lady who worked for a friend of mine who always would pick us up and drive us around. And it's, you know, it's just so weird to play against the team that you always support forever. Um, but boy, didn't the girls in that game play so well. I mean, they just if you watch the video, they were everywhere. Like we knew where we were gonna be. We had Ellsworth scouted, and that's that's another interesting side note is the year before when we played Herman and we got down 2-0 and came right back. Right. Remember, we met in the shed and I had more notes than they could probably deal with on the board about Herman. And we came back the next year with Ellsworth, like they had all done a bunch of scouting and they were talking about it. Like we knew everything they were gonna do before they did it, and it it was, you know, it was a two-nothing game, and I think we outshot them like 19 to 1. Right. Oh, you could have way more than two. Yeah, we could have, and right, and you know, we didn't finish well, but we finished well enough to get through and win and create an awesome memory. And I think again, another one, it's awesome and it's great, but that team taught me, and I think I already knew this, and I think I've already shared it a little bit, but I tried to include their thoughts on the season in the banquet. So I sent them a survey of like what were your favorite moments of the season? And the only one person wrote winning a state title. And it wasn't that just winning a state title, it was winning it with my best friends, right? And so to me, that just cemented it's all the moments on the journey and the people you're with that are so important. And I think that's why, you know, at the end of every season, I I think the hardest day of any season is whether you win or lose. It's the day after it ends because these kids that have been part of your life, and you may have more uninterrupted time with them than their family does in the fall, yeah. Um, you don't see them as much. Right. And they mean a lot to you.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Um and it's always the end of an era each year because you're always gonna lose certain kids and you got a lot back, but you know, each group is unique, right?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it's unique and you start over and you try to do what's best for the team that's coming back through. And um, you know, I hope, I hope with all the teams we had that we were we were able to help them be better players, but also better people on the field, off the field. Um, and I hope they can look back fondly and I hope they realize that all the coaches they've ever had will always be here for them and are thankful for the opportunity we had with them.
SPEAKER_01The rivalries with Cape and Greeley and Freeport, I that's just I mean, they're so intense, but there's also a lot of mutual respect. And you think of all the great games you've had with all three of those schools here. Yeah, just some great memories, right?
SPEAKER_02Awesome memories. And it's it's it's great because all three coaches I've got a little respect for. As I mentioned, Brandon and I work together. Um and he's a really good friend. I mean, Dave, we've had a lot of intense battles. Dave does, you know, a good job with that team and does a good job getting me fired up to play Freeport. Um and Rachel Williams, I mean, you know Rachel. Rachel is one of the top 1% people on the planet, not only as a coach, but as a person. Um, and I and I'm gonna miss all of them. And but I'm gonna stay connected with them too, um, in some ways. But the games we had with those teams, they were intense. Like it it's it's fun. And it I think it's more fun when you go out and you battle and you kick each other and you compete, and then the kids can be really classy after the game and shake hands and go. And I think all those teams, you know, like I I got all the respect in the world from Noelle. Love Noelle. Um, I think I'm still committed. She's going to tops or Middleberry? Middlebury. Middleberry, like I told her I was gonna get a Middlebury sweatshirt to support her. So, Noelle, I'm still doing that. I mean, Amelia Savoy at Greeley, I've known her for a long time because of her mom. I think the world of that kid, and that's that's when we go battle each other and there'd be a hug after. And Sylvie at Freeport, love Sylvie, you know, super kid does it all the right way. So it was awesome to have that rivalry, but it's also awesome to have the connection with the kids and coaches. And I think that's really good for Maine high school girl soccer. I think it's really good for the Western Maine Conference. Um, and it's great for the kids to have those experiences and to be part of it is something I'll be forever thankful for.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I think each of the seasons that you didn't win a state title, you lost the eventual champion. Is that right?
SPEAKER_02That's right.
SPEAKER_01So just I mean, it just goes to show how close you were each of those seasons.
SPEAKER_02We were there, and I've always said that I'm really fortunate because I just have had a really good seat to watch some really amazing kids do some really cool stuff. And and it's great. And and and we've been close, we've been there. Um, but the big piece for me is just the kids and the relationships and and the fact that that you know I hope we help them be better because they truly helped us be better people.
SPEAKER_01And this group coming back, you're not gonna be coaching them, but I think there's still a lot of, there's always a lot of talent in this town. But I mean, what do you think of the 2026 Clippers and their chances?
SPEAKER_02Well, I think I think they're very good. I think they're very motivated. They got a really strong and deep senior class. Um, you know, I think with the senior class, what what a lot of people may not be aware of is they were here at the middle school with me. You know, like I joke with Lauren Jobber all the time about like what I watched her do in fifth grade, and she blames another kid, and it turns into a whole conversation. So the connection with that group um goes beyond just high school soccer. Um, but I think they're strong and I think they're motivated, and I think they're hungry for um, you know, they're hungry to get through the season and and to finish their legacy here with the program. Uh, I think they know it's gonna take a lot of hard work. I think there's gonna be a change with, you know, uh with whoever the new coach is gonna be, but I'm sure they're ready to work and compete in battle. And you know, I I ran into a few of them going through the parking lot recently. Um, and it's always awkward because you don't know how they're gonna react. And it was great, and it was a great moment for all of us. Uh, but I was really proud because we were talking about, you know, the season, and I had mentioned don't forget like what makes this place special. And they started talking about traditions and the players that came before them and the players after them, it really sunk into me like we did our part by making them realize this is bigger than them, and and for them to know that and carry that forward. I think they've got a really strong chance to do something special, but they know they got to show up and work every single day. And I hope they know that while I'm gonna be away in a in a you know a different zip code with a different team, giving them all my heart and everything I got, I'll keep my eye on their scores and I'll be right here if they ever need anything.
SPEAKER_01Great rivals in the Western Main Conference. Gorham has some great rivals too. I mean, Scarborough's kind of had a stranglehold on that region the last few years. Windham is excellent as well. You know, Shepherd's often has very good teams. Balmouth's become a powerhouse, Thornton Academy's a team on the rise. Are you looking forward to kind of getting involved in some of these new, new to you rivalries?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I am. I think those are going to be a lot of fun. And um, it is nice. I mean, I've got a great relationship with Deb at Wyndham, so I think that'll be fun. I think there's a lot of mutual respect, will be mutual respect between our programs. You know, Craig, Craig and I have done a lot of things. Doug, Craig's assistant, is a friend, hilarious guy. Yes, yes, uh, poor taste in football teams. But um, and you know, Todd Sniper, who's at Chevris, uh, Ben Johnson's a great guy, and this there's coaches all over the league that I'm looking forward to getting to know and represent that conference well, represent Gorham well, uh, and hopefully create some good experiences and memories for the kids in Gorham who are gonna have all my attention and all my heart as we move forward.
SPEAKER_01Obviously, you want to win, but what what do you want to instill in that program? And and it's already a great program. As I said, Coach Zorelli, she's has quite a pedigree there, won multiple state titles, and is as respected as anyone. But is there anything you feel like you're bringing to the program that might be unique?
SPEAKER_02Um, I don't know about unique yet. I'm still trying to figure things out. I think it's you know, when I came to Yarmouth, it was really important for me um to create, recreate, or maintain a program that Smitty could be proud of. Because Smitty put a lot of time and effort and work into create this program, and Smitty is one of the most amazing humans on the planet. Uh, and so for us to create something and how we carried ourselves to represent him and something he could be proud of, and I think we did it, was really important to me. And it's gonna be the same way with Gene. You know, I want to make sure we do something that Gene can be proud of. I want to make sure we do something that the community can get behind and be proud of. Um, and that that when people think about Gorham Girl Soccer, they don't just think about a good soccer team, they think about a good soccer team with really great kids who are wonderful people. Um, and and we're you know, we're gonna represent the kids that have played before, we're gonna represent the kids coming through. Um, I guess maybe the only unique you know how I am, I'm a little bit loud and annoying on the sidelines, but hopefully in a positive way. So I hope they get ready for that because that's coming. But, you know, I'm really just looking forward to seeing them on more than just film and seeing where our strengths are and seeing what we can build and what kind of culture we can create um of being positive, supporting each other and moving forward.
SPEAKER_01Have you given any thought to how long you want to do this? Are you just enjoying it and there's no shelf life? Um you're still a young guy, so yeah, I I am.
SPEAKER_02I am, you know, my wife will be a big part of that decision and what her thoughts are and and our kids. Um I I would like to think, you know, I think here in Yarmouth, I think, you know, this past year was my my oldest son's first year in high school, and and I missed probably 75% of his games, whether it was we had games or they had games, and it was talking. I'll give Sarah credit, uh, Sarah Holmes credit and a lot of love that she did what she could to help me. And it just sometimes it didn't work out. And and and and my kid is great, he gets it and he understands. Um, but I made it, you know, I probably could have maybe done one more year at Yarmouth, I'm not sure, and then have been done. And then this job at Gorham opened up, and who knows, you know, if it goes well, this could be 20 more years, this could be 10 more years, and I hope it's a while. I hope it's a uh a relationship that's strong and collaborative. Um but I think it's, you know, with the way life is, you never know what's next. So I'm just gonna make sure that I enjoy every day. I want to make sure the kids enjoy every day. We'll go year by year with hopes that get to wear that maroon for a long time.
SPEAKER_01All right. So I like to end these with I call it word association. Name association. I'll fire out some names. You can say what comes to mind. And don't worry, I won't bring up David Ortiz or Jason Barrett. Yeah, please don't. Anything to break your gay loving heart. Uh let's start with uh Caitlin D'Avalonia.
SPEAKER_02Wow. That's a that's the starter.
SPEAKER_01Yes.
SPEAKER_02Legend. Yes. I mean, best athlete I've ever coached, all-around athlete, better person, was just actually with watch, she went and supported her at USM last night with Hope Olsen and watching her still do her thing, and it's it's so much fun. Uh, I'm gonna say Nike Athletic Socks because she used to drive me nuts with those in practicing, she'll know what that means. But Caitlin's just class.
SPEAKER_01You know, her older sister Sarah is one of the best female soccer players of the state's ever produced. Her senior year, I think she scored three goals in the state game. Yarmit won huge.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Caitlin came down and came up and introduced herself to me and said, Hi, I'm Caitlin. I'm Sarah's little sister, and I'm gonna break all her records. Totally, absolutely. That's that's her swagger, yeah. Um, you know, she would wound up being a great basketball lacrosse player as well as soccer. So uh how about Ava Feely? Talk about some big goals. Huge.
SPEAKER_02I mean one word association. Uh, then Few. Okay, good. Because I mean Ava scored so many great goals. Um Ava's a better person than she is a player. Ava matured and grew so much from her freshman year. Ava, um, you know, I think what people also forget is Ava didn't start as a freshman. She had her cover COVID year as a sophomore year, which was shortened. Yeah, and she still, you know, set um broke Sarah's record and and and set a really hard buy for herself as a school's time all-time leading goal score, but there's so much more as a goal scorer. Um, she emerged as a great leader, a great person, you know, wishing her the best at Bryant. Um, her left foot was amazing. And some of I mean, if you made a top 10 list of greatest goals in Yarmid history, she might be 11 of them, you know.
SPEAKER_01And you know, she lined up a free kick from 30 yards out, forget it. Okay, if it was going in. Yeah, and just I mean, and the ability coming through the clutch. Not everyone has that, no, but the truly the great ones that set them apart do. And you know, if you needed a big goal in the state final, you know where to look.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and I think Ava, that's one of the special things about Ava is she scored a lot of goals, she gave a lot of credit to her teammates. Um and that's that's really important.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. We we touched a little bit on this, but you know, Reagan Sullivan, what she overcame, what she meant to your program, you know, what she meant to you.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah. Um just toughness. And like I said, it's it's years removed, and I still struggle with uh her injury because that's on my watch. And um man, but Reagan was probably the greatest goalie I've ever seen, and probably the greatest competitor. Um tough, awesome. Wish her nothing but the best. Um uh Brooke just has this amazing ability to make every situation fun. Like nothing seems to bother, nothing seems to stress her out. She always has fun, and she just shows up in a big moment and does a great thing. Um, an amazing athlete in all she did. And like a lot of these kids, like all these kids, a better person. Right.
SPEAKER_01And all these kids are multi-sport athletes and often champions in multi-sports.
SPEAKER_02You know, yeah, and that's awesome. It's they're multi-sport athletes, and that's that's great and to each their own. If for people that don't great, for people that do awesome, you know, I think there's a lot of value in it, and that's such a great observation that they are. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And another one, Anya Powers.
SPEAKER_02Uh she had that clutch gene that Ava had. She was, you know, one of the best athletes ever to come through. Another one who's an amazing person, another one who, you know, you think about that 23 run, she kind of put the team on her back in the playoffs.
SPEAKER_01And she's a lacrosse player. I mean, people didn't know what a great soccer player she was, I think, until that senior year.
SPEAKER_02100%. And she, I mean, she she caught some teams by surprise her junior year. Um, didn't surprise us because we knew what she had and knew what she could do, but she was another one that's just a great competitor and scored some big goals, was willing to speak her mind for the benefit of the team, and another one who was just super fun-loving and just a joy to be around all the time. But Macy Gilbert. Leader, team mom. She took care of everybody. And I always worried about Mace that who's taking care of Mace because she's too busy taking care of everybody, and that's just her heart. And that comes from her family. Her family has the same heart, and she just she was heart and soul for a while, you know, during her career, and she just made sure everyone was doing okay. And every team needs Macy. Oh boy. Um I don't think Caden realized how good she was. She was special. She could play everywhere. Um and she sacrificed a little of her own to play in the back. Um she's at USM now, and and uh I get a chance to see her from time to time. I'm just really proud of uh who she is as a person and player. And she's she's she's gone through a lot and and she's done a lot, and she's a tremendous leader, and she's a super kid. And I've said it about all of them. It is just a better person than she is player. Right. Mike Haggerty, what do you suppose? Oh boy. Boy. Well, here's an interesting one, right? So when I transitioned from gray to Yarmouth, I traded lunches with Andreyson for lunches with Haggerty. And and they're both been great mentors and great friends. And I learned a fly on the wall for Ivy. Oh my gosh, right? We should have done our own little podcast with them. Exactly. But I learned from them that I think that longevity and success in your field comes from your wife packing your lunches. Because I'm pretty sure Kim and Cindy packed both their lunches. But Haggerty's they both married up. Totally. Oh, 100%. Um Haggerty's been a rock for me through a lot of things, you know, soccer and and and just life. Uh and that's just him, and he's like that for everybody. Right. You know, um he's he's as good as there is. And I and I think I said this year one at the banquet at Yarmouth. This Mike talks a lot about this. Is what makes Yarmouth special. He's one of the things that makes Yarmouth special. And, you know, I I I appreciate him.
SPEAKER_01Uh another person who makes Yarmouth special, Sarah Holmes. Oh boy.
SPEAKER_02Boy, you're going deep.
SPEAKER_01Killing me.
SPEAKER_02Um Sarah's great. Sarah has been nothing but a support to me. Um, Sarah's gotten us everything we've ever wanted. She's taken care of us. Um she did all she could to get me to watch my kids' games. She's been, you know, a rock as well, you know, in listening, talking, communicating, just letting me rant, invent. Um and even during this uh kind of transition process from one job to another. The day I told the girls was brutal. And it meant the world to me that Sarah was there. Wow. You knew A.D., Tim Spear. Yeah, all my interactions with him so far have been great. Um he's got a great sense of humor. He's driven, he wants what's best for Gorham. Um I want to prove that he made the right decision. I want the community to know that Mr. Spear made the right decision, and and um that means a lot to me to be able to do that and for him to trust me to take this this program, take this program on.
SPEAKER_01Your family can support they've had your kids. It's hard being family members of coaches, yeah, spouses of coaches. Yeah, you know, it's it's a lot of a lot of late hours, it's not just a two-month job, it's a it's a round the clock job.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I I um wow, I they've been so supportive and so great. And you know, I mentioned that with that, you know, this past fall was the toughest, schedule-wise. My kiddo, and and I mentioned that it was a tough year. My wife's like, You've been doing this for 15 years, you know. So um she's been really supportive for that whole time. I think she's excited. She's a Gorham alum, she's a Gorham Hall of Famer. I think she's excited that we're gonna be back in Gorham. Um, my kids have been great. My kids, you know, they don't come to as many games as maybe they used to, but they still watch, they still love it. You know, Brady's had a Yarmouth Clippers scarf up on his wall, they've got the gear. Uh, I think they're excited. I'm gonna be in Gorham. Um, and the three of them are a huge reason why when this came up that that you know we made this decision together to go down this path. They're there, you know. I I think you know we talked about Mike and Mike marrying up. Oh, I totally married up, you know. I think we all did, right? Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01That that's the goal. Look how kicker coverage, right? Yep, yep. So last thought, I mean you've had an amazing run here. You've certainly had such great times at Gray. You've taken over one of the premier class A programs. You ever sit back and realize how fortunate you are?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I think it's really important. You know, because we've been had a lot of mem moments, had a lot of memories. And it's important not to forget those things because these things are important. Like winning's winning's hard, and you have to enjoy winning. But more enjoyable are the kids and the families and the communities. And I think that's what I'm most fortunate about is just the people. And I I think we could have gone oh and 14. I mean, if we were oh and 14 every year, Mike. Time at each place. I've got many years. But just to be surrounded with the kids, with their families, and to have the support they have. And you know, like I share this with the kids every year, but Bill Self one year made the comment that uh there's a lot of talk about how coaches impact players, but not enough about how players impact coaches. And I think that's important. I um I'm really fortunate and I'm blessed to have had these opportunities and being, you know, be connected to the kids, to the to the coaches, to the reporters, journalists. You know, there's been a lot of great people I've been able to meet because of this. And I think if you don't take the time to step back and enjoy it, you know, you're missing out on something.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_01Great, great way to end it. Um, I appreciate you taking the time. I appreciate that yours genuine and emotional. And I mean, I know how deeply this matters to you, and it's it's great that you speak from the heart. And I it's been great to uh chat with you for a few minutes, and I wish you the best of Gore.
SPEAKER_02I'm looking forward to covering you over there. Awesome. Well, thank you for the time. I appreciate you uh giving me an opportunity to kind of share a little bit, and and as always, everything you do because it's first class and there's a lot of people who benefit from the work you put in. So thank you. Thank you.