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08/31/2020 12:00 AMThe Guilford girls’ soccer team had an amazing season in 2019 and is aiming for continued success with a new head coach on the sidelines this fall.
Guilford claimed Southern Connecticut Conference and Class L state championships on its way to finishing with an overall mark of 18-2-4 last year. Guilford posted three-straight one-goal victories in the SCC Tournament to earn its sixth title in team history, and the team’s triumph in states marked the ninth such title for the program.
Now in 2020, Guilford will be led by new Head Coach Regina Sullivan, who wants her squad to play the best soccer possible.
Coach Sullivan’s top priority is to help her team set goals and ultimately meet those goals. Once Guilford has its first practice this week, Sullivan will have a clearer look at that picture.
“If it wasn’t a COVID world right now, we’d select the team and do some goal-setting. Every year is different, and I don’t want us to rest on our laurels,” Sullivan said. “My goal for them is for them is to learn and develop as players and to have fun. The winning and losing is the competition part of it, and winning is great, but every year is new. I want to do the goal-setting together and learn what they want as a team this year.”
Even though Guilford graduated several athletes who made significant contributors last season, there is still a large swath of returning seniors on the roster this year. Guilford will be welcoming back forward Sophia Gabriel, midfielders Moira Kellaher and Lexie Greene, defender Taylor Gambardella, and goalkeepers Julia Rubbo and Olivia Ste, Marie—each of whom are seniors.
Sullivan will also be bringing on a new coaching staff that includes assistant coaches Jess Matthias and Lou Monaco. Everyone on the staff teaches classes in the Guilford school district, and that should be a big advantage in terms of getting to know the student-athletes.
“All of us teach in the district. Lou and I teach at the high school, and he’s been involved in a variety of sports. He has coached both girls’ and boys’ soccer,” said Sullivan. “Jess was recommended to me by a couple of people in the district, and she played soccer at the college level at UConn.”
Coach Sullivan is eager to get back on the pitch with Guilford for a couple of reasons. For one, Sullivan is from Guilford and would love to help continue her hometown’s glorious run. Also, Sullivan has been away from high school coaching for a while, and now she’s ready to dive back in.
“I was born and raised in Guilford. I played soccer at Southern Connecticut State University and, after I graduated, I coached with the boys’ team for a couple of years,” Sullivan said. “Then I wanted some experience on the girls’ side and coached at Branford for a couple of years. In addition to that, I’ve done summer league and coaching kids’ Premier. In all honesty, I’ve been away from the game for a long time. I’m very excited to get back into it.”
In addition to coaching for Guilford, Sullivan has the unique position of being the physical educational and health department chair, as well as president of the teacher’s union. These positions give Sullivan many different perspectives on how to get high school academics and sports up and running this fall.
“For both positions, safety is at the forefront. So, we’re taking precautions. The CIAC has given some direction on the number of players, and it’s the same thing in the classroom for students. We’re working hard to reduce class size,” Sullivan said. “School and sports are good for kids on a lot of levels. Everyone involved is concerned for safety, but also giving the kids what they need for social and emotional situations. We’re treading very lightly.”
Taking precautions also means staying as up-to-date as possible when it comes to the latest information, along with how the state of Connecticut is faring when it comes to new cases of COVID.
“We’re watching the data and following the guidelines. There are a lot of competing interests. Everyone wants soccer, and everyone wants to be safe,” said Sullivan. “It’s hard to please everyone. The precautions we have in place will help us. It’s going to be small groups for several weeks. If the numbers don’t look good, then we’re going to pull back. I think the coaches and teachers I work with are doing whatever possible and plan accordingly. I think all the teachers are under a great deal of pressure, and we’re all being faced with doing things different than we used to.”
As far as stepping on the field goes, Coach Sullivan plans to develop Guilford’s strategies after she has a chance to see what her players’ capabilities are.
“My philosophy totally depends on the personnel. There are a lot of different approaches to soccer,” Sullivan said. “It will be determined by the players that I have. I don’t know what we’ll be doing until I see who we’re doing it with. In a perfect world, I’d rather know about our opponents and have a few different philosophies and strategies and play to our skills.”
Coach Sullivan wants to start with a blank slate with her players. It’s difficult to base your evaluation of an athlete on second-hand information, so Sullivan knows that what happened last season is in the past. Conditioning may prove challenging for many returning players, but through no fault of their own. Coach Sullivan appreciates that the CIAC seems to be taking some of those factors into account.
“I don’t go on anything that I’ve heard. I’ll only go on what I’ve seen. I think the girls are probably apprehensive. I think they’ve gone through a lot with the pandemic, as well. This will be a fun opportunity. A little sense of normalcy will be good to do something they like to do,” said Sullivan. “The CIAC has put forth the guidelines and how much conditioning we can do. Some kids have may have let their fitness slide a bit. I think the CIAC and other local officials have factored that in. Staying within the guidelines should make everything work.”
In the end, Coach Sullivan knows that players, parents, teachers, and officials are all doing their best for everyone involved. That’s exactly what Sullivan pledges to give to Guilford in her own right—her absolute best.
“I think I try to empathize with people to the best of my ability. I may have to make some tough decisions, but I don’t take these responsibilities lightly,” Sullivan said. “It’s really hard to please everybody all the time, but I try to be respectful. I try to empathize as much as possible, and I try to listen to see what people need.”