Soccer is back. On March 19, the Lady Hornets earned their first win of the season against Justice before defeating Fairfax 2-0. First-year head coach Michael Newhall said it's not the best start, but he's taking the approach of getting better each week.
“You can't play the best version of yourself in Week 1. You want to do that later in the season,” he said. “We use every game, every practice to get better, so even though we won, we didn't play close to our potential. We feel like we can accomplish more. The team feels the same way, and we want to build on this win and grow every day.”
“I'm very confident in the way the season has gone so far,” forward Grace Shifflett said. “The team is working very well with each other and I think it will help Kish move forward towards more wins. The team is very motivated so we have a strong frame of mind going into this season. I think.”
Newhall said that during the matchup against Justice, Shifflett scored the first goal after a scramble with the goalie. The final goal was another scramble, but a number of Lady Hornets scored inside the box. He successfully placed the ball into the goal.
“I tell the kids that some teams can win cleanly and some teams can win ugly and be successful in the long run,” he said. “It wasn't the best game, but scoring a goal like that definitely helped us. The important thing is that we won and this team has the potential to do something special. I feel like I have a lot of potential, so I use that as a stepping stone to get better.”
Last year, the Hornets posted a record (6-9-1) overall and (4-2-1) in the conference. Newhall would like to change things up to get back into the postseason.
“With the mentality and the kids right now, there's no return from last year. Every team is different and gets an opportunity to grow to get better,” he said. “We have a fresh mentality and we use that to improve every day.”
“What I like about this lineup is how much they fight and fight. All the kids, whether they start any game or not, compete for their position. I know I have to come to practice every week,” Newhall said. “They have the same mindset. They are not satisfied or satisfied with what they have so far and want more. It is a very competitive group and they They taught me things I didn't know before about coaching. They're really fun to coach.”
Kendall Gillingham, Shifflett and goaltender Kayla Doty are key players who will anchor the lineup. Newhall praised the contributions of the rest of the team this season and looks forward to working with them.
“These kids have it. They feel like they're having so much fun that they can really have a good time, but the competitiveness comes through. They wonder when they should be goofing off and making TikToks and Instagram stories. “And they know when to get serious. Before practice, they always tell the group, 'You have to focus and concentrate,'” he said.
“I think to keep our team strong we need to motivate each other and help each other on and off the field,” Shifflett said.
Prior to arriving at Herndon, Newhall had 13 years of coaching experience, seven of which were at Northern Virginia. He explained that it's good that every high school coach wants to win a championship, but he also wants to instill a spirit of confidence in his team.
“I was the kind of player I was when I had a coach who believed in me completely; I would play 10 times better than I actually did,” he said. “I want them to know how much I believe in them and I appreciate their efforts and I will always be rooting for them to give them the best experience possible. So if possible, in return , I hope we can shock the world with that mentality and set a standard for ourselves.”
He explained how he's bringing a culture and mentality of being the underdog to this year. Newhall wants critics to set the bar low while they continue their work.
“We're fine. As long as we're a close-knit group and act as a unit, I think we'll be fine,” he said. “Sometimes you get caught up, but I try to bring unity and not individuals. Not all kids are the same, but everyone comes together as one unit and it doesn’t matter where you come from. will be treated the same way.”
