Published: March 06, 2008 12:29 am      

Steve Watkins named as Lady Jumpers’ soccer coach

Somerset — After two years away from the game, Steve Watkins is back at the helm of a girls soccer program.

With the sudden and unexpected mid-season departure of last year’s Lady Jumper soccer coach Terry Bray, Somerset athletic director Bob Tucker was left scrambling to find an interim coach to get the Lady Jumpers through the remainder of the season.

Watkins, who was already teaching at Somerset High School, was the first person Tucker looked to to help get the girls through the season.

After Watkins helped the Lady Jumpers capture a regional runner-up title, Tucker looked to Watkins to take on the coaching position on a full-time basis.

“Steve helped us out in a tough situation last year and by him taking the head coaching position this fall, he will add a lot of stability to the program,” Tucker said. “Steve has already built a strong rapport with the kids and he has experience at coaching soccer. So, it was a win-win situation for us to have Steve (Watkins) take over as the girls’ soccer coach.”

Besides being the school’s art teacher, Watkins already has an extensive background in the sport of soccer, both playing and coaching.

Watkins, a standout soccer player at Atherton High School in 1995, went on to play sweeper and midfielder at Centre College. Upon graduation from the prestigious college, Watkins served as an assistant boys coach under Gary Reynolds at Danville High School for five seasons.

Watkins took on his first head coaching position in the fall of 2003 with the Pulaski County girls soccer program and spent two seasons with the Lady Maroons.

“I am extremely excited to be able to coach here at Somerset,” Watkins stated. “We have a talented group of girls playing soccer here at Somerset and they should challenge for a regional title every year.”

Watkins attended many of the Lady Jumpers’ soccer games over the past two years while teaching at Somerset, He was there not only as a fan, but as a backseat coach.

“I came back to coaching because of the enjoyment factor,” Watkins explained. “I like the coaching process and I like being around young players that want to learn the game.”

“I have already built a relationship with the girls and I respect their talent and dedication to the game,” Watkins added. “I especially enjoy coaching girls soccer because the girls seem to fast learners of the game and they quickly implement the soccer techniques they are taught.”