Hanover High Coaching Update

As another Hanover High School soccer preseason looms, it's time to update you on the coaching staff for the Marauders.  We have an excellent combination of The Usual Suspects and some new blood.  Old new blood.  We are all educators, and all eager to get started on August 19th.

Rob Grabill, Head Coach, editor of this blog:

This is my 17th year as a Hanover High School coach, and 14th as Head Coach.  I have already begun my 50th year as a soccer coach in the state of NH.  Since 1970 in have coached at least one team in every calendar year.  Most years, two or more.  I have coach on the high school level at three schools for 22 years.  I was a college head coach for nine years.  I was a high school and college referee for 15 years.  I was a college assistant for both the mens' and women's programs at Dartmouth for 13 years.  I have coached in the Lightning program for 28 years.  This year thus far I have coached two outstanding girls' teams.  I coached the Lightning 207 Fury girls in the NH U12 league.  This fall we move to 11 v. 11 as a U13 team, working out of Dresden.  In June I coached the Monadnock Region girls' soccer team in the Granite State Games win Manchester.  I was also the Director of Soccer for the GSG for the fourth year.  That's a brief resume for now.

Sam Farnham, Associate Head Coach:

This is Sam's fourth year with the program, but he hasn't been on the sidelines in six years.  The last time he was in this position, the Marauders walked off with the D1 title. A 2010 graduate of Hanover High and a 2014 graduate of Dartmouth, Sam has a long coaching resume and is well known as a tactician, talent evaluator, and student of the game.  Sam will be designing training sessions, and working on team selection and tactics on a 49-49 footing with Coach Grabill. Those other two percentage points are in a locked box.  Sam edits high level corporate content from a perch at home, and has spent the summer sharpening his talons on the sidelines for Touchline.  He will be taking Touchline 4 to the final event of the summer season on August 17, a four team round robin in St. Johnsbury.

Willie Johnson, Junior Varsity Coach:

This is Willie's ninth year as a Hanover High School coach.  He started with basketball, and is still on the Hanover hoops staff.   He continues as the Marauder JV boys tennis coach.  And Willie is entering his seventh year as a Marauder soccer coach.  After two years as coach of the then-Reserve team, Willie then handled the Freshmen for two seasons before stepping up as JV coach two years ago.  It's been an extraordinarily good fit, and Willie returns for his third JV season with a lot of energy.  Willie has also played a lot of roles as a Dresden School System staff member, and returns to the classroom as a special education assistant.  Willie has promised to throw out the first Haiku of the season in an upcoming post.

Jamie Hutchins, Freshman Coach:

One of Hanover's most decorated soccer players, and All-Americna at Middlebury, and a coach on many levels over several decades, Hutch returns to the Marauder sidelines this fall.  More on his dazzling resume in a later post.

Yosef Osheyack, Junior Varsity Two Coach:

Another member of the Marauder Hall of Fame, Yo had a two-year stint as Hanover's JV1 Coach, and has returned to the area to train for November's Pan American Games.  Yo is a 12-year member of the  US National Deaf Soccer Team, and is one of a handful who have flayed in the last four international tournaments.  Yo scored the game winner in the state title game his senior year, and has a great history with the Lions Twin State Cup all star game.  His focus on his training will make him one of the best role models we can have, and we're glad Hanover soccer can be the best of his operations.

Assistant and Volunteer Coaches

There are a number of other part-time coaches helping out this year.  Eric Jayne and Brendan Barth have just started at Geisel Medical School, but when they come up for air they will be recuperating on the Hanover sidelines.  Dr. Chris Baker has a booming dental practice and is about to become a parent, but we'll see his smiling face as ski season gets closer.  We're still in negotiations with a few other coaches.

Players -  Do your best to attend the fitness boot c amps on Tuesday and Thursdays at 6:00 at Dresden.  Inclusive, invitational, functional and fun. This is not the Cobra Kai dojo or anything sinister.  Good core work, stretching, balance, some cardio.  $10 cash or check to Amped Fitness.