Coaches: Commitment is the cream that rises to the top

PRINCETON — Sam and Angie Hill knew what a soccer ball looked like 10 years ago, but that was nearly the extent of their expertise on the sport.

Then, as their children got interested in soccer through the East River Youth Soccer Leagues and their schools, the Hills jumped head-first into the sport. When coaches appeared in short supply, Sam and Angie stepped up to lead the teams at PikeView High School and Athens Middle School.

“Basically, for lack of anybody else doing it, it fell into our laps,” Sam explained this week, in the wake of two state girls’ Coach of the Year awards — one from the state high school coaches association and another from the National Federation of High Schools.

Although Sam is the head coach of both the PikeView boys’ and girls’ soccer teams, he’s quick to point out that Angie, the assistant coach of the PVHS girls’ team, carries much of the administrative load for the teams.

She schedules all of the buses for road trips and maintains an open line of communication between the school’s administration and the soccer team.

“I’ve said it before. You only get the awards if your team has success. Your team only has success when you have a quality team and quality people working with you. I’ve got both of those things,” Sam said.

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The Hill family first took an interest in soccer when Sam and Angie’s son, Josh, started playing. Quickly, the couple saw the positive aspects of the game that they believe is often overlooked or misunderstood in American culture.

“You can get so many kids involved in soccer,” Angie said. “With 11 players on the field, per team, at all times, there have to be a whole lot of kids involved to keep a team running.”

Soon, Sam realized that while athletic expertise may be handy, it isn’t necessary for a determined soccer player.

“You don’t have to be a great soccer player to be able to participate and to participate quite well,” Sam said.

Each team they coach is a little different from year to year, but there are still some simple words of advice that seemingly hit home for the players with kicking attitudes.

“One of the things we often say to them is to play smart and to play hard,” Angie said, adding that she always advises players to think two passes ahead and work as hard as possible to win each individual battle.

Sam’s timeless tip is to remind players to maintain their mental focus on the task at hand.

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Off of the field, Angie is a homemaker with a tendency to get really involved in children’s activities, while Sam works at the First Community Bank Corporate Center in Bluefield, Va.

After raising two children together, the Hills know expanding a team is very similar.

“I joked that I had birthed two kids but that I felt like I’d given birth to a whole soccer team,” Angie said.

While the job keeps the Hills quite busy, Sam said he is grateful for the practice and travel time that being the coach has afforded him with his own children.

With their youngest child, Laura, graduating from PikeView in the spring and heading for West Virginia Wesleyan, to play soccer, the Hills haven’t really decided whether they will return for another season amid PVHS soccer.

Laura has committed to play soccer at West Virginia Wesleyan and her parents hope to keep their schedule open enough that they travel often to see Laura play. That could factor into the decision of whether the Hills return to coach PVHS soccer in the future.

“I tend to be tightly wound and very involved, and at the end of the season, I’m likely to make quick decisions I might not stick to. Plus, the jobs aren’t even posted until February,” Sam said. “I know that I’d like to be involved in some way, but I’m not sure right now in what way.”

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After amassing a 91-28-12 record on the girls’ side and a tally of 64-49-9 with the boys, Sam and Angie have experienced many moments that make them proud.

“The ones that are really easy to remember are the three trips we’ve made to the state semifinals with the girls and one with the boys,” Angie said.

Meanwhile, Sam enjoys being one of the state’s high school coaches and the respect and camaraderie that accompany a string of successful seasons and respectful teams.

He hopes the students on those teams carry the memories of their state championship play with them forever.

Meanwhile, Angie hopes her girls take a series of intangible qualities from the soccer field into real life.

“There are so many things that I know kids can get from soccer, especially the girls,” Angie said. “Playing any kind of sport instills confidence, passion, strength, decision-making skills and outspokenness. I see the girls change from the day they start playing, and I know they are going to take those skills with them when they are no longer being coached by us or playing on any high school team.”

While Sam really enjoys winning games, he gauges his success during any given year by whether his players believe the effort was worthwhile.

“I always want to know if the seniors that are graduating can look back on their time on my teams and say it was worth it, that it was worth the work and all the time spent practicing,” Sam said.

— Contact Tammie Toler at ttoler@ptonline.net.

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Coaches: Commitment is the cream that rises to the top

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