The increasing number of former Byrd middle school/varsity soccer players has evolved into a promising number of new coaches. The newest ones have cropped up in the past year; the school record holder for points, Brad, served as Byrd varsity soccer assistant for several years and was recently hired as Cave Spring's head varsity soccer coach. Brad teaches at Byrd middle, where he starred as a seventh grader under this coach and and transferred to junior varsity as an eighth grader and then started varsity soccer as a ninth grader.

Brad started, starred, and help Carson-Newman College compete in D-II than transferred to Tech as they played championship soccer in D-III...!!

What is so unique and interesting is Brad's hiring of former Byrd players as assistants (starting as seventh graders under this coach)...names like Chris (brother), Chris (a more recent player for me), and Zac, who also did well as winger!

Cameron, a former middle school/varsity player who graduated from Randolph College is now serving as Byrd assistant soccer coach (or as middle school coach....my memory faltering ?)

It's been a year and a half.......and with the help of my older son........I'm restarting Coach Dad again.

Having lost some continuity, this coach will address a year and a half's gap of soccer time since last I began. Bryan is a middle school assistant who played as sweeper for me probably between '87 ...through '89 when we played in the intermediate school behind the original William Byrd High School.

As I have repeated, being a soccer dad has been a worthwhile endeavor in coaching and coming to know these athletes in later life. Such is the joy in Bryan finding his old coach (if memory serves me well)...In emailing I have found out he was a soccer coach for ten years before becoming assistant principal and very responsible one at that..!! Our email chats have been interesting, encouraging, and positive, and Bryan even one summer dropped by to see his old coach.

Emailing has proven to be an uplifting measure that has brought two soccer coaches, of distinct ages and liking teaching together as we share like interests in soccer and coaching. These are worthy achievements that have inspire coach...and....player/coach.