Panthers seniors prove reliable for new coach
What do you say when a coach’s right-hand man is a young woman? And what if there are two of them?
That’s the pleasant challenge facing first-year Mead girls soccer coach Chris Allen, who finds himself relying heavily upon a pair of seniors, midfielder Chelsea Mykines and Jill McAndrews, as the Panthers attempt to recover from a rough start to secure a Greater Spokane League playoff berth.
He and his team entered the 2005 season expecting – and expected by many others – to win the GSL, but the Panthers lost to Mt. Spokane in overtime in their first league match, then fell to Central Valley next time out. They won eight straight after that until last Friday’s loss to University, but their title hopes were gone.
“We were really down as a team,” said Allen recently, “but Chelsea and Jill picked us up. That was a big part of our turnaround, and I still feel that their leadership could put us over the top.
“The top six go to playoffs, and we’re in fourth now. This is a tough week (the Panthers played Ferris this week and meet Gonzaga Prep on Friday).
“Those two are the heart and soul of our team. They’re our leaders, our team personality. If they’re up, so is the team. I’m new, so they’ve taken on a lot of the team bonding activities. We have bracelets, necklaces … everything that’s really good about sports here they’re responsible for.
“Their leadership extends to the field as well. They’re like coaches on the field with the younger girls, and I use them that way. The first thing after our loss the other night, I asked how they were feeling and what they felt our tone should be this week in practice. They said, ‘Work us hard,’ so I’m taking my cue from them.”
Both girls were surprised by Mead’s two early losses, but they knew how important it was for them to stay positive.
“It was hard to shake those first two (league) games,” said McAndrews, “but Chelsea and I have both played a big role here in the last three years, and it was important for us to not get negative.
“Of course it was hard to get over, but once we knew we couldn’t win the GSL, we made it our goal to win the district championship. That’s more important, anyway.”
Mykines had her own perspective on Mead’s rocky start.
“It showed us that we could get beat, but still stay positive,” she said. “Whether your leaders are positive or negative, it’s contagious with the others on the team.”
Mead traditionally looks to its seniors for soccer success, and this year has been no different. But after longtime coach Travis Hanson’s run of winning seasons, the transition to a new coach provided some drama.
Allen is no newcomer to the area, having served as an assistant girls and boys coach at Gonzaga Prep before assuming the Gonzaga boys head job last spring. He also coaches basketball at Prep and is a graduate student at Gonzaga University.
“It was a hard transition because Hanson was such a good coach,” said McAndrews. “But Chelsea and I decided we had to set an example to follow our new coach and his style. We knew he was coming from a good soccer background, and that playing hard would overcome any difference in style.”
“Everybody likes Coach Allen,” added Mykines. “Overall, we’ve made a good transition. He’s done a lot for our school, and I think all of us connected with him.”
Allen’s history at Gonzaga Prep makes Friday’s match especially important. The Bullpups have lost only one league match and are tied with Ferris for second place in the GSL.
“We lost to them last year,” said Mykines, “so we want to come out and play the best we can. But having Coach Allen come from Prep makes it an even bigger deal. We’d love to beat his old team, and everybody’s pretty pumped about it.”