Hart takes helm of Demon soccer

The goal is simple for Sally Hart: win a conference title during her time in Washington.

Hart was announced as the new head coach for the Washington boys? soccer team in May and is looking to right the ship after a tough 2015 season.

?In my tenure, I want to win conference outright,? Hart said. ?If it?s this year, that would be great. If it takes five years, it takes five years. We have the talent, we just have to string it together. We lost four really strong seniors who have big shoes to fill. We gained a lot of freshmen this season, so if we can return those players and keep advancing their skill, we?ll be in good shape.?

Hart served as the assistant coach for the boys? soccer team last season under former head coach Steven Caulk, who is stepping down from the position.

Coming off a co-conference championship season in 2014 (the first conference title for boys? soccer, shared or outright), the Demons stumbled this season, going 3-11, and failing to record a conference victory.

?We had a really talented team, but injuries were just not helpful with our season,? Hart said. ?If you look at our record, that?s not the best way to examine our team from last year. We had a lot of talent and we had a lot of heart. We didn?t lose any games because we weren?t in shape. I want to carry that over to next year.?

One thing that sets Hart apart is her knowledge of the game.

Having played the game for as long as she can remember, Hart took her skills and played for four years at Monmouth (Ill.) College, while also playing as a member of the men?s water polo team.

?I have played soccer since I was in a kindergarten rec league,? Hart said. ?I really enjoyed it. I played a lot of sports growing up and when I got to high school, I really just focused on soccer. At the middle school level, we didn?t have a girls? team, so I played on the boys? team, because I loved it so much. Then in high school it was all I did.?

Hart?s knowledge, coupled with the coaching skills she demonstrated as the assistant last season, showed the former Demon head coach why she would be great for the job.

?She knows a lot about soccer and she?s not afraid to coach the guys and tell them what they are doing wrong,? Caulk said. ?She?ll be a clear voice out there, and provide a lot of insight for what they need to do to be effective.?

Moving into the coaching game was an easy decision for Hart, citing her father as the main inspiration for her coaching style.

?My biggest inspiration for coaching is my dad,? Hart said. ?He was the coach for my basketball and softball teams, and he was one of those coaches where you could be the most talented player, but if you weren?t working hard, it doesn?t guarantee you a starting spot.  Those are things I really value when looking at a team.?

The biggest key for the Demons, according to Hart, is getting enough athletes out for the team.

Ideally, they would like to have at least 22 athletes sign up, so they can run 11 v. 11 drills during practices, something they couldn?t do last season with only 17 athletes on the roster.

However, Hart noted that the interest is growing in the community, and that should be a good sign for upcoming seasons.

?Soccer is something that is gaining a lot of popularity across Iowa,? Hart said. ?The city just added five new soccer fields, and they didn?t do that just for the fun of it. People want them. That shows that at the younger ages, more kids are playing soccer. If we can transition those students into the high school programs, we?ll boost our numbers.?