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.

Having mentioned the impact of Robbie Scharpf and Scott Carter as the two key players on my first year team who played as seventh , eighth, and ninth players both exceptionally well as students and as good players, I kept thinking of the third player I just knew had to complete the three players....I was so sure, but have finally remembered the third player.

Shawn Niday, along with Robbie Scharpf and Scott Carter, was the third player who played well for me for three years. These three outstanding young men made my first team roster as seventh graders among the other eighth and ninth graders, and I am proud to realize what a great decision I made that first year...!!
Shawn was an impulsive and strong striker who over the three years he played set the record for 32 goals scored and proved to rank with Brad Collins in such scoring power. One example of his great scoring ability was his scoring three goals in the first half against a weak opponent and my sitting him out before the half was over. He became so "concerned" about being taken out so early that this star scorer "made a scene" to the point I had to hold him out in the second half. Another claim to fame this star player had was his being a brother of another player I was fortunate to have several seasons later who had a good power shot. His brother, Kevin, has played adult league soccer along with Ryan Ranson...and my son Chris..and several other ex players of mine that I have forgotten in my age.

Of course I had mentioned Robbie Scharpf before who was another original seventh grade player who showed maturity in his three years and scored seventeen goals along with the fourteen goals Scott Carter, the third three year player scored. These "famous three" all earned All District Player at least (there goes the coach's memory) their third year, if not more times...and are/were excellent representatives of this coach's twenty years of soccer....!!!

After beating Cave Spring in 1986 by an overtime score of 2 - 1 in the junior high tournament, Byrd faced Cave Spring in 1987 for the tournament championship again by beating Hidden Valley 5 - 1 in the first round game. Led by three outstanding ninth grade All District Players, Shawn Niday, Robbie Scharpf, and Scott Carter, the junior high Terriers faced a strong and determined Cave Spring team that surprised the Terriers and won the tightly fought championship game 5 - 1.

Other key players were Andy Crowder, Hunter Durham, Todd Etter, Bryan Holland, and Aaron Craig, and Mark Andrews. Andrews and Holland made All District in the '88 season.

From the '88 season until '91 this coach does not remember any more championship games for several potential reasons; after the '88 season which was another good season, the young Terriers probably had the weakest won-lost three year series of their twenty years thereby maybe disqualifying for a chance in the tournament, if tournaments were still viable, AND the thought is that the County school system had begun planning for a middle school sports program that would not use tournaments and involve seventh and eighth graders only while changing to a middle school program.

Starting in '92, junior high became middle school and the young Terriers again became competitive and, along with Cave Spring, usually ranked number one or two.

William Byrd Junior High soccer (originally) won its first championship in its second year of competition ('86) when tournaments were used in junior high soccer. The first year in '85 Byrd tied regular season with its-to-be regular foe..Cave Spring as we lost the first round of tournament held at Glenvar.

The captains of this tournament champion team were Mark Milton and Ryan Richards who led with determined leadership. Leading in scoring were four outstanding high scoring players: Richards, Shawn Niday, Robbie Scharpf, and Eric Jennings. Byrd proudly led the district with four players Richards, Niday, Ryan Ranson, and Mark Milton who made the team a second year. Ryan Ranson had proven to be a real soccer leader as he had been a strong and tough defensive player who also has continued in the adult league with the same enthusiasm.

The championship game was tight and intense as it went into 2 overtimes with Ian McRoy scoring the winning goal with 25 seconds remaining for the 2 - 1 victory. The junior high Terriers proved to be tough and determined as they had beaten a tough Hidden Valley 3 - 2 in the first round and faced a tough Cave Spring for the championship....2 - 1...!!!

Reflections on Adam and coaching soccer:

Coaching soccer or any sport demands a lot of the man/boy....and....gives a lot to the coach. Approximately 500 young men (and there were about 3-5 young ladies before the advent of girls soccer) give their all physically...mentally...emotionally...and yes ...spiritually...... approximately five school days a week for roughly 60+ days in all kinds of weather.

The coach asks for commitment from the team and gives commitment...as a coach. Coaching...playing..is a joyful task....a fun endeavor....a try time....a meaningful meeting of the mind. When I volunteered in the fall of '84 to initially coach soccer for spring '85, I had a general idea...but not a real experience...what I was getting into. I had coached rec football...t-ball...basketball...and soccer and had done well, but this was real school soccer....Steve Lonker, my principal, had faith in me...!!!

Coaching gave my teaching an added interest and command, and I loved it. I felt that my knowing the kids so well built my soul....made me feel good about myself. My wife and two boys sacrificed for me, and for that I owe her dearly. She never cried or complained; she cared for the coach and our kids and for the boys on the team.

Two more things: Adam's life and death have made an impact on this coach that I'll never forget. He was an example of living and his death was a way of living so hard.

Second and last thing: When I called my team together in the auditorium for a final word that fall in '04...I hurt....yes, I cried....and I wrote. I hurt and cried because all these players were a part of my life and I knew I would miss them. I wrote each family a typed letter ( my handwriting was.....is terrible) explaining to them that I was not leaving them because I wanted to..................I physically had to......and I wanted them to know I was not quitting.........and I wanted/hoped their player...boy...child......would....not quit. either.................

Any reader of this blog may certainly gain at least one insight from this former soccer coach...that being (as I have stated before)...the many fine young men under my coaching. Trying to narrow the finest young men I have had the privilege to coach soccer under would be an enormous undertaking. There is one soccer player I only had in the seventh grade, who is now assisting the varsity coach, and is a good friend of my younger son who also coached PH now for the past 6 years. As I explain one specific incident involving Brad, you decide what you may about fine young men.

A couple of days before Adam died suddenly, Brad and I had agreed that he would take or help out in the specific practice that fateful Friday practice....not knowing the fate of Adam to be. After the ambulance had left the school ground with Adam for the hospital, I had announced or sent word we would practice for the last game that would be played next Tuesday. Little did I know the shock and the confusion to be as I had to meet the sweet, well-meaning middle school guidance counselor who appeared to be overly anxious to tell the parents that we were having no practice..or that she would get back with them.

Almost immediately before I could begin....Brad showed up and immediately offered to take the team and practice (in some fashion) and allow me freedom to address the counselor who appeared about three times....and a father or two who dropped by while I talked with passersby.

Brad was mentioned in two previous blogs....is now assisting the varsity coach....friend to my PH coach son....and brother to Chris (his brother and my son's name). As probably mentioned before, Brad was/is a gregarious....sincere...likable....outstanding soccer player who starred for me one short season.....varsity...Carson-Newman College....and finally Va. Tech.

So that Friday...Brad stepped up and brazenly/NO...thoughtfully... offered to lead my confused team in practice as I stood in some shock maybe...conferred with the counselor...various teachers... and some parents....an absolute blessing that particular afternoon to this coach. As it turned out, the counselor came again by sometime after four and said she told the parents finally to come. That fateful afternoon was saved by Brad....smiling ...sincere...thoughtful...discreet...helpful...the right person at the right time....!!