10
SPORTS
Kicking for goals
NEW WOMENS SOCCER COACH SEEKS OLD W INNING WAYS
STORY BY JOSH WOLF
STAFF WRITER
Not long ago, the Clackamas
Community College Women’s
Soccer team w ere
regional
champions. When not claiming
the title as they did from 2010 to
2013, the Cougars strove for the
top spot with regularity. New
head coach Tyler Lewis is well
aware of the team’s past exploits.
Stepping into the vacant role just
in time to start the current season,
Lewis brings over two decades of
coaching experience.
Lew is steps into the head
coaching position with ;a wealth
of experience. Getting his start at Coach Lewis stands in front of the goal net.
the age of 20 at Portland Christian
High School. After three years day operations have not shifted,
at PCHS, Lewis held the head but the ability to scout and recruit
coaching position at Gladstone players has been a new and
High School for 16 years. Lewis exciting task. Lewis now has the
remained at Gladstone while capacity to offer scholarships to
starting a family and took a few potential squad members.
years off from coaching while
“Historically, over the last four
his daughter grew up. Lewis then or five years it’s been difficult
returned to GHS to coach again for CCC to acquire numbers, for
while his own child competed. whatever reason, so I put a lot of
After four years, he left GHS in the importance on it initially to make
fall of 2021.
sure that we had a team, so that
“I’ve done lots of other coaching w e could move forward and not
for clubs, summer camps and have to forfeit or cancel games,”
all different types of things,” he he said. “I w as able to recruit five
said, “but as far as team coaching, or six players; had to do some out
(I have) 23 years o f high school of the box thinking.”
coaching along with different
Lewis also finds his present
clubs.”
players to be more committed
Affirming the job at Clackamas compared to high school where
Community
College
to
be some students may simply have
his highest age group he has to be there. Understanding the
worked with, Lewis detailed the opportunities recruitment can
differences in coaching high provide, Lewis has maintained
school vs. college. The day-to-
Thé Clackamas Print
Photo by Josh Wolf.
three matches. Two of the three
ties being played at home sets
Lewis and his staff up for an
exciting chance at a respectable
finish taking into account the
challenges the Cougars were
confronted with at the start of the
year.
“I’m a little bit disappointed with
the amount of chances that w e’ve
got so far, but w e’re still learning,
w e’re still building, not having
a preseason slowed us down a
little bit,” he said. “When we were
playing our first game, we were
playing against an opponent that
had played six times already”
Not having a preseason may
-have putthe squad on the back foot,
but Lewis has already achieved
his primary goal of ensuring the
athletes would be out on the pitch
in competitive fixtures. Seeking
signs of improvement, Lewis
offered that another couple of
w ins would be a success to round
out the season.
“At this point w e’ve won as many
games as w e have in the last four
or five years,” he said. Harkening
back to the championships in
previous years, Lewis is eager to
use the tools at his disposal to put
Clackamas Community College
soccer back on the map.
a pragmatic approach to squad
building and tactics.
In the future, he could look for
specific players with attributes
allowing tactical changes and a
specified style of play. However,
in month four of year one, Lewis
said he remains fpcused on “going
through the process correctly
every day,” and m aking sure the
team continues to improve.
At a little more than midway
through
the
season,
Lewis
remains keel on his assessment
so far. Their last game going up
against the Umpqua Riverhawks
on Oct. 26. A string of tough losses
to start the campaign was followed
by back-to-back wins.
“They want to be here, it’s
As of October 18 the Cougars almost at the point where it’s a job
have a 2-6 record. Two additional because they have the tuition.”
difficult losses have set the team
up to end the season with a 5-5
—Tyler ^Lewis
record if they can w in their final
th e cla ck a m a sp rin t.co m
O ctober 2022