Varsity boys soccer will be playing under a new coach this year after the departure of former coach Justin Wah. PantherNation caught up with their new coach, Mr. David Speirs, who gathered his thoughts on his transition and the upcoming season.

What do you expect to be the challenges in stepping up from JV to Varsity?

Well, before I came to this school, all I had coached was Varsity. Coming here, I had to coach JV for the first time. So making that step up… my experiences are with varsity boys previously. I’m used to coaching within that [Varsity] realm, within that level. I’ve been doing JV for the past three years and now moving up to varsity… I would say that I found JV more challenging than varsity to be honest.

Is the challenge a result of playing 7 vs. 7?

A lot of things. The 7 vs. 7, the technical aspect… JV weren’t obviously as strong as varsity. So I found JV more challenging than coaching Varsity.

What will you look to maintain from last year’s team, and what changes will you be looking to make to suit your own style?

What I will be looking to maintain from last year’s team is a consistency. The teams have done very well in previous years and I want to keep that going. You know, there’s a consistent pattern with playing the game of football the way it should be played, and I want to keep that going. I like to play the passing game; I’m not a long ball type of coach. I like to pass the ball around and I like my teams to be giving 100%, never giving up, all those things. I’m all about the team.

What are the main credentials you look for when selecting the varsity team?

Attitude. Number One. Attitude. That’s the big thing. The attitude has to be there, and then of course the other things fall into place. Within that attitude I’m looking for someone who never gives up. Someone who’s mentally tough, with a positive attitude. Underneath that I’ll be looking at technique, and then underneath that I’ll be looking at speed.

Gian C.