Our school’s varsity boys soccer program is entering a new chapter with the hiring of Katie Kooiman as its new head coach, replacing the long time head coach, who retired at the end of last season. Kooiman, who is a physical education/health teacher at our school and served as the junior varsity (JV) boys soccer coach last year, is looking forward to turning the team around and making our school’s soccer team a district competitor.
Kooiman comes to the head coaching spot with a remarkable background in the sport. Hailing from Stafford, Virginia, she played her high school career in the state at Colonial Forge and Mountain View High School. She started her college soccer career in Division III at Virginia Wesleyan University where she was Rookie of the Year finalist, before transferring to play Division I at Virginia Tech. In addition to her impressive career, she coached at two other high schools. Alongside this, Kooiman has spent a year coaching at the college level while having coached at several soccer camps and clinics.
When describing her approach surrounding coaching, Kooiman describes herself as personal and efficient.
“I’m a loud coach. I’m involved,” Kooiman said.
However, her core ideal is centered around development that extends beyond the field.
“My philosophy is for soccer to be used as a tool to grow young men of character … So, hoping that, along with wins, we are creating life lessons that extend beyond the soccer field and having a lot of fun along the way,” Kooiman said.
This mindset is reflected in the environment type she wishes to create for her team next year. Kooiman wants to emphasize key traits like accountability and responsibility, as well as the importance of balancing the competitive drive with an enjoyable experience.
“Pushing for everyone’s best and having fun along the way … Balancing that ‘having fun’ piece with getting stuff done,” Kooiman said.
Like most coaches, Kooiman wishes to have particular impacts on our school’s team. She wants to instill a sense of healthy pride amongst the players.
“[I hope] that Yorktown soccer is a place that people are proud to have played at. College will end before soccer season is done, and I would love to see that alumni want to continue to support and are happy to come back and see me, see the staff, see players,” Kooiman said.
With boys soccer coming off a difficult year, Kooiman is ready to turn the tide. She wants to see her team solidly at the top of the district in order to make it to regionals. In order to amplify this, Kooiman has a particular set of qualities she wishes to see in her applicants. They can look towards a fitness component to her try-out process, allowing her to see which students are a fit for the team.
“That will help looking to see who gets on the ball … Some are going to make themselves known, … [and] if you can’t find the ball, you probably just aren’t fit for our team at this time,” Kooiman said.
She will look for athletes that know how to be assertive while simultaneously organizing their team.
“Are you still able to connect passes? Are you still able to step up when your team needs you? Even if the quality of your teammates isn’t what you’re used to, that tells a lot about what you can do on a pitch,” Kooiman said.
Alongside this, there will be a technical skills component, allowing for people who aren’t confident in their group-setting performance to have a chance outside of that.
Kooiman has circled a few key teams on the schedule that she is looking forward to competing against. Naturally, the in-county rivals Wakefield and Washington-Liberty High School will always be a great matchup, but she also has her eyes on a challenging game against Herndon High School, who won the state championship last year.
“If you can beat the defending state champion, that’s always a good feeling,” she said.
Coach Kooiman is grateful for her opportunity to coach the varsity soccer team this year and is looking forward to a new start for the program. Her message to all new and returning players is to come prepared and ready for a new coach with new expectations.
“My message is that I hope they come prepared. They come ready to play. They come ready for a new coach who has new expectations. They are ready to be a little uncomfortable in order to catapult Yorktown to a winning team. And I want them to come in with the mindset that they’re changing the culture here to become state champions.”
