West Valley goalie Jasper Marsh unlocks potential with confident play

It certainly helps if a budding soccer standout is the most athletically gifted player on the field .

But many times, what differentiates the solid from the special comes from a mental perspective.

West Valley boys soccer captain Jasper Marsh is a perfect example .

The senior goalie has always been gifted, but his outcomes haven’t all been rosy.

Marsh has played soccer since he was 4 and has primarily played goalkeeper, including for a range of club teams throughout Spokane.

Goalkeeping has always been his calling card. His mom, Jami Ostby-Marsh, an assistant boys coach at West Valley, is a former goalie.

Still, a couple of years ago Marsh contemplated quitting soccer because his passion for the sport was missing. Some of that was due to burnout, but mostly he battled a lack of confidence.

While playing for the Spokane Surf, Marsh met coach Ivan Torres.

A few spirited practices and some encouraging words changed his outlook as Torres and another coach reignited his interest in the sport.

“He definitely pushed me further than I believed I ever could have gone,” Marsh said of Torres. “I never thought I’d be playing college or even having future success after high school. I thought I was just going to be done. But after playing for that team, I feel confident enough to play in college.”

The other coach was Mo Withers, a goalkeeping coach who has instructed Marsh since he was 10 or 11 .

Withers said Marsh came to him with amazing skill, sound techniques, and great intuition and decision-making.

“He had the whole package,” she said, “but his confidence level was not where it needed to be for a goalkeeper.”

Marsh admits his confidence was a weakness. He attributes that to an introverted personality that prevented him from embracing leadership traits.

Marsh’s doubts still creep in at moments, but his growth is seen by everyone , including himself.

Withers also pushed Marsh to put together a highlight reel and reach out to college coaches. She wanted Marsh to invite college coaches to watch him play and express his desire to play at the next level.

“She’s probably been the best goalkeeper coach I’ve had my entire life,” Marsh said of Withers. “I remember the first time I had training with her, she told me that I have a future and she hopes to see me on the TV in a couple years or in the future. It’s incredible, because she’s stern, but she gives you confidence. And she’s a really impactful coach.”

Withers didn’t deny the sternness definition – if anything, she doubled down on it. She emphasizes mental toughness.

“Because it’s what my training revolves around, which is why it’s super intense,” Withers said. “We train hard because when the goalkeepers work hard, they feel like they’ve earned the right to play well. That’s a quote my keeper coach used with me, and I use with them all the time: ‘You work hard, and you earn the right to play well.’ ”

Withers also stresses that goalkeepers need confidence to continue their development. Too often, goalies drop their heads and allow themselves to dwell on each and every misstep.

Withers’ goalkeeping coach was her hero. In turn, she has positioned herself to be Marsh’s .

“Believe in them. If you believe that, and you tell them that, they can achieve something and then you watch them do it,” Withers said. “And then they realize that they can do it. And it’s like giving them wings they never knew they had, and you just watch them fly.”

Marsh used to see the pressure as a nuisance . Now, it feeds his competitive nature to find his untapped potential.

“If you mess up, then it’s a big deal. But if you do make that big save, then you’re the hero,” Marsh said.

So often this season, Marsh has been the hero.

The Eagles have four shutouts in eight games and allowed seven goals in the other four games combined – five against bigger Ridgeline in the first game of the season.

Even with five goals against him, March never showed disapproval toward his defensive teammates.

“A lot of goalkeepers, when they get scored on, they tend to blame the defense and the players on the field,” West Valley head coach Lenny Peterson said. “He never ever once has done anything like that.

“He takes responsibility for everything.”

The Eagles face their most significant game this season on Tuesday when they host league-leading Pullman.

Coaches expect to see Marsh at his best.

“You know, he’s by far our captain with the best leadership skills that I’ve seen,” Peterson said. “There’s just so many little things that I feel like he does on a daily basis that make him not just the player that he is but the person that he is.”

Withers said Marsh has blossomed during his final season for West Valley.

“He was good to start with and he developed, not so much skill-wise – I mean, he’s definitely gotten better – but I mean, he came in good,” Withers said. “Once he had the confidence, then it was a game changer.”