BELIEVE: Tascosa girls soccer team looks to keep making history in the playoffs
Lily Gowdy is aware of the old phrase, "Numbers never lie." It was a harsh reality that she discovered firsthand her freshman year on the Tascosa girls soccer team when the Lady Rebels failed to win a single match all season.
With that in mind, she likely has even more appreciation for the numbers the Lady Rebels are putting up this season — including a 7-9-4 overall mark.
At first glance, that record may not look impressive until it’s compared to a winless campaign three years ago. Throw in the fact that Tascosa went amassed a second-place finish in District 3-5A with a 4-2-2 mark.
Put those together — the overall record, district record, point total for district (14) and second place finish — and the Lady Rebels have turned in the best marks for the program in more than 10 years. That includes earning a win over Caprock for the first time in over a decade as well.
Those numbers are more to Gowdy's liking.
So, how did Tascosa make it happen? The explanation may sound like something out of the Apple TV+ hit series ‘Ted Lasso.’ But, the reality is, they did it by having fun.
“The most important part of my coaching philosophy is that this is a game, so it should be fun for us," Tascosa coach Hutton Sharp said. "I’ve seen the power of having a coach that believes in you and pushes you to your fullest potential. I’m a biproduct of that.”
Sharp is in his second year as head coach of the Lady Rebels. A graduate of Randall, he played college soccer at Ottawa University in Ottawa, Kansas. He previously coached at High Plains Drifters Soccer Club and brought with him to Tascosa a needed injection of enthusiasm for soccer.
“When I first came in and took over the job, I said, ‘Things just have to change as far as the perceptions of our program,’" Sharp said. "We can’t control how other people on the outside look in and what they think of us. ... In my short time here we’ve taken soccer very seriously and we try to be innovative in the ways that we train and the ways that we think about soccer. I think the results show for themselves.”
Indeed, they do.
Sharp has placed an emphasis not on drills, strength, or conditioning, but rather on small-sided games. Tascosa limits training to 90 minutes and ensures that everything the Lady Rebels do in practice involves competition and context that will be relevant to actual matches.
The idea is to start from a team-first aspect and work the way down to individual aspects.
He doesn't take credit for the growth of the program, however. He gives all of that to the players on the pitch for buying in and being the ones who get out onto the field and make things happen.
Again, it sounds like something out of ‘Ted Lasso,’ but he thinks the best thing the squad has done for itself is keep a positive attitude.
“Lily Gowdy, Selena Martinez and Piper Lang are tremendous leaders for us," Sharp said. "Even in adverse circumstances and situations they find a way to remain positive. They always look for ways to include other people in whatever we’re doing. That’s what we expect our leaders to do and they’ve done that.”
Now, the Lady Rebels face one more new task: The postseason. They are slated to open the playoffs in a 5 p.m. Friday matchup against Monterey at Plainview High School.
The Lady Rebels have faced difficult challenges all-season long and answered the call. What's one more?
In terms of how they'll get it done, Sharp admitted the mindset the Lady Rebels are taking actually is out of ‘Ted Lasso,’ which is written on a sign inside fictional football club AFC Richmond’s locker room: Believe.
“We’ve got to stick together and we’ve got to believe in ourselves," he said. "We have to believe in our teammates, our coaches and our team. It’s about believing we can win. I think that’s the drum we’re consistently beating heading into Friday and if we win Friday, we’re going to keep beating it until someone knocks us out.”
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Head coach Hutton Sharp hopes Tascosa Lady Rebels keep making history in the playoffs
