Harper named Ladycat Soccer Head Coach

By Kenton Hornbeck, Reporter

    A familiar face will be patrolling the sidelines for Pendleton County soccer this autumn. In his return to high school coaching, former boy’s soccer Head Coach Aaron Harper will now return to manage the Ladycats.
    Harper wanted to return to the sidelines because he has a real passion for coaching kids. After his tenure coaching the Wildcats came to an end, he took a year off. That year off helped reinvigorate Harper’s love for coaching.
    “I took a year off and realized how much I missed the aspects of coaching a team sport; the camaraderie, the players, player development on the field and in the classroom and just being around the game,” said Harper. “Fortunately the girls program at PC became open and provided an opportunity to put my name into consideration for the position.”
    So what can the Ladycats expect from Coach Harper this upcoming season? They can expect to work on improving their soccer IQ, individual skills and a team style focused around pacing and ball control.
    “I’ll institute the same philosophies into the Ladycat program as the prior boys teams;  individual technical skill improvements, team ball control focusing on developing the play from the back to scoring opportunities and overall team concepts,” explained Harper. “We’ll work to improve soccer IQ to allow better decision making while during the course of play on the field.”
    Harper and the Ladycats hope to resume training after the mandated dead period. Due to the United States being in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been regulations put in place by administrative bodies to ensure athletes and coaches remain healthy and safe while preparing for the upcoming season. While Harper hopes some of the restrictions will be loosened to allow for full training, he and his staff are completely committed to following all the necessary guidelines to ensure the safety of his players.
    “Once we get together on the field come mid-July, we’ll talk together as a team to see where we stand with the overall situation we have been through these past months,” said Harper. “It’s been difficult for everyone but we’ll look ahead and make the most of the opportunities put before us.”