GREENVILLE – Green Wave assistant varsity boys soccer coach, Dave Ernst has been named the new head varsity girls soccer coach.
“Coaching was not even in the works until late last spring when Mark Coppess (GHS varsity boys soccer coach) needed an assistant so that brought me into the high school,” said Ernst. “I was fine with not coaching but I have always been a coach so when this position opened up I applied.”
“We had worked with the girls through the whole winter with training anyways,” Ernst continued. “The end of February when I got the position we just started moving forward. Of course COVID kind of puts a damper on things but eager for the challenge.”
A program that has celebrated few victories have a combined five year 5-73-3 record that Coach Ernst hopes to improve on but realizes it takes time to build a program.
“If they go out and play the best that they can that is all you can ask of a young lady,” Ernst stated. We hope that 11-mesh and play well together but our ultimate goal is to make a program the players, the parents, the school and the community can be proud of.”
“My coaching philosophy is simple,” added Ernst. “I say it’s simple but it’s obviously complex to a point. Direction, discipline and accountability. Each player is going to have one job – all we are going to do is ask them to do that job.”
Coach Ernst is realistic and makes few predictions for the upcoming Lady Wave soccer season.
“I don’t have a magic number of wins, losses or ties,” he said. “The ultimate goal is to get better between week one and game 16.”
“I can’t put a number on it, I don’t have any idea,” added Ernst. “I don’t know what the other teams are like, the other coaches, what staff they have, what kids they have coming back. I know I have between 18 and 22 girls that want to work hard and get better.”
Assisting Coach Ernst will be former GHS girls soccer coach from several years prior, Steve Shepard and Alex Hutt.
“Steve was the varsity coach for three years and Alex Hutt is our other assistant,” said Ernst. “He just graduated and played four years at the varsity level. Steve brings experience coaching the girls so he’s been there, done it before. He is a great reference for me to lean on.”
“Girls want to learn, girls want to get better,” said Ernst but believes fan support will go a long way to help build a Lady Wave soccer program.
“Support the girls win, loss or tie,” Ernst said. “Support them, acknowledge the effort and the level of skill that they are going to bring to the game. They are going to see Greenville girls soccer play hard, play disciplined and they should be proud of them.”
Coach Ernst reflected on COVID-19 with one final comment.
“The biggest thing I have already talked to the girls about is never take anything for granted,” Ernst stated. “Every game that you play could be your last, not because of personal issues but a virus took away a spring season so you lost that opportunity for softball or track or tennis or whatever their choice of sport was – so take this as a gift as it is. It’s a privilege to play, it’s not a right.”
