Wimberley Texans’ new soccer coach takes over

A.L. Shaff

Sports

Ramez Antoun, the experienced new coach of the Wimberley Texan soccer team sat down this week to talk about soccer and the season about to begin after the holidays. Antoun, a former player and a coach at several soccer programs at other Texas schools, spelled out his expectations and talked how this year’s Texans could bring the sport to a new level.

First, he listed that captains for this year, as voted on by the team players, will be seniors Jack Cole, Mason O’Connor and Grant Cole, a junior. Thirteen of the seventeen players on the varsity team are seniors, several from last year’s starting team. Those returnees include the Coles and O’Connor as well as Brian Mc-Guire, Remy Wade, Brayan Ramos and Ramsey Frank.

Kelly Parker, an experienced soccer coach returning from last year, will work as Antoun’s assistant, mostly as the junior varsity coach.

Asked about his expectations for the season, Antoun said, “My expectations this year are simply to beat the teams that we could have beaten last year! We expect to be better than a fourth place team in the district this year. The kids have bought into the idea that we need to beat those teams. This senior group is motivated and they want to be successful and to do that, they want to get to the playoffs.”

“The biggest adjustment for me will be the reality that most of these guys don’t play soccer all year round. At other places I’ve coached, the guys had many options to play the game includings rec play, club play and opportunities to sign up for off-season club teams. Out here, the opportunities seem more limited.”

“Then, while it’s great, many of these guys also are involved in many other activities. For example, we had four or five guys on the varsity football team, people in band, and others involved in so many activities. That’s great, but that also limits their time to be involved with playing soccer year ‘round and to gain from that experience with the sport.”

Asked, “What’s going to happen this year?” Coach Antoun answered, “Honestly, I don’t know. I’ve had this conversation with some coach friends on the weekends. But, I honestly don’t know because you need to have seen the competition to get context. I haven’t coached 4A soccer in eleven years, so I don’t have that context. When I was coaching at Hays, that’s the 6A level while Wimberley is 4A. Until I get an idea of what 4A soccer looks like, I really can’t say.”

“What I do know is that these Wimberley players are working hard, they’ve got great attitudes and I see a lot of skill out there on the field. They’re asking questions and accepting coaching. But, again, I really won’t know until my team competes so we can compare our level of skills to the other teams.”