Author Spotlight
Annabelle Moore
Look up when you get the ball, and position your body open to the field. Think one step quicker than the ball and know where to pass it next.
Don’t get unnecessary yellow or red cards. Most importantly, know the value of hard work: if you put your effort into something, the reward will show.
Every time junior Tate Nicholson steps onto the soccer field, the mantras former JV boys soccer Coach Aaron Weissenfluh instilled in him come to mind.
The day before the first JV boys game of the season, Varsity Head Coach Jamie Kelly announced to the team that Weissenfluh wouldn’t be back to coach this year due to his new job at American Century Investments, and that Coach Elliott Pattison, who also coaches the girls JV team, would take over his position.
Starting off the season, despite his new job, Weissenfluh was eager to make coaching work on top of his new office hours. But most days he ended up having to stay late to file paperwork, leaving him unable to make practices and games. Eventually, he decided it was best to let another coach take over the position.
Nicholson and the rest of the team were disappointed to see their coach leave, but remained hopeful in the possibility that he can try to juggle soccer and work next season once he’s gotten more acquainted at his new job. Without having Weissenfluh cheering them on from the sidelines, they’ve realized the impact Weissenfluh has made on the soccer program.
As the boys JV soccer coach for the past four years, Weissenfluh feels he’s never seen or been a part of such an intense, well-run program. Throughout his time coaching, he’s enjoyed seeing the continual support of the East community, as well as seeing his players grow from hardly being able to do a proper touch at the beginning of the year, to effortlessly dribbling across the field by the end of the season.
After playing for Weissenfluh on the JV team for two years, Nicholson believes he’s the perfect coach because of his ability to develop players. He believes that Weissenfluh turned him from an average player to what Nicholson sees as a great player.
“[Coach Weissenfluh] gets kids from all different skill gaps, and by the end of the season, he can make them into great players that can play for varsity and do well for varsity,” Nicholson said. “I feel like Coach Weissenfluh is really what East soccer is about — hard work and commitment. Because hard work and commitment will get you to where you want to be.”
But as hard as Weissenfluh pushed his players on the field, Nicholson always appreciated his coach’s carefree demeanor, remarking on how he joked around with the players.
“He always makes jokes with the team and just provides a comfortable atmosphere for everyone while we’re playing soccer,” Nicholson said.
This year, Nicholson was looking forward to having Weissenfluh help him move up to varsity. But considering the circumstances don’t provide Nicholson more time with Weissenfluh, he’s grateful to have a replacement like Pattison — someone he can count on just as much as Weissenfluh.
Coach Kelly will miss having Weissenfluh help him out on the sidelines of his varsity games, where he frequently saw the players go up to Weissenfluh for advice on the right move or consolation after a botched play.
“They all still have that great relationship with [Weissenfluh] and still go to him to ask for help to make them a better player, and not just what Assistant Varsity Coach Williams and myself are trying to instruct,” Kelly said. “That speaks volumes to him, his character and how much the boys really love playing for him — that they’ll still go up to him.”
Players throughout the entire program respect and apply Weissenfluh’s philosophy on coaching, not just because of his emphasis on practical drills and intense scrimmages, but his desire to make sure the players know they’re cared for.
“The three things I would try to say everyday is that, ‘I appreciate you, I care about you and I believe in you,’” Weissenfluh said. “I know that’s a little odd for a coach to say that all the time, but when the players start seeing that you care about them as people and their growth and development, they really give more than they ever thought they could.”
His coaching style was made easy by what he calls the East trademark, or the “never-die attitude.” He sees it in his fellow coaches, fans and players.
“Those stands are always full and those fans are so supportive — whether we won or lost, they never gave up,” Weissenfluh said.
The two things that Weissenfluh hopes the team and program will take away from his time at East are to believe in the program and the system Kelly has in place, and to focus on improving throughout the year.
“Dayton Moore — who was the general manager of the Royals — said it best when he said, ‘Care about your teammates more than yourself,’” Weissenfluh said. “And if [the boys] can carry that on [without me there], then they can get through any bad time and do things on their own.”
Weissenfluh said that he is hoping to return to coach again next year once he can make more time in his work schedule.
“[East soccer] is part of my fall and it’s not here now,” Weissenfluh said. “And things just don’t feel right, so I’m going to find a way [to come back]. As long as [Kelly] wants me back, I’m going to find a way.”
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