After making it all the way to the playoffs in the 2016-2017 season, the Timber Creek Girls Soccer team ended the season off against Frenship High School, having been highly ranked throughout the state as well as nationally all during the season. But even when the season ends the impact of their work is never over, and being a part of the team goes way past just being a player, and has reached the coaches like Mike King, showing not only through their teachings, but personally as well.
Beginning his coaching career through teaching Youth Soccer at 14 years old, Coach King has been coaching for the past 22 years, and has been coaching the girl’s soccer team since the school first opened.
“At the beginning of my career I was a young man with lots of ideas but not sure how to apply them,” King said. “Now, my approach is based on years of experience, trial and error, research, observation, and phenomenal assistants. I choose to coach and teach because my father’s influence, my club coach and my high school coach. They were very strong men who were passionate about kids and leading them.”
Adjusting the team yearly to fit the needs of each player and continue to grow, King and the rest of the staff have made it a habit to review with each player their strengths and weaknesses at the end of the season. Not only showing the care and attention that is given to each athlete, the coaches modify the team based on the “personality” of the players, saying that this year’s team was relatively easy to direct due to the experience of older players, and the capability of younger athletes to learn within the program.
“They are always willing to give me everything they have, even if they are having a bad day,” said King. “We all show up for work every day. [The coaches] are all very proud of the tradition we have started here at TC, and we will do whatever we can to get better every year.”
Just as well, as the school year comes to an end, some of the team’s athletes will be leaving or have recently committed to play soccer in college. With players like senior Haley Ward, committed to play at the Texas Women’s University, leaving the team, they also will leave behind a legacy, not only for players to come but also as a memory for the coaches and an impact in their lives forever.
“It’s hard,” said King. “You invest so much time into developing a player into something they may never even [have] considered they can be. Then it’s just over. Those kids become such an important part of what you are doing as a coach and then their departure just leaves a huge void that someone else will hopefully fill.”