The Nashua High School North girls soccer team listens to coach Jacqueline Thompson during halftime of Tuesday's game vs. Bedford. The Titans rescued a local youth league that was facing cancellation due to a lack of coaches. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – The Nashua High School North girls soccer players are among those in the area that never seem to forget from whence they came.

The Titans under head coach Jacqueline Thompson usually make it a habit to help out the city youth soccer programs, and this fall has been no exception.

The Nashua Youth Soccer League (NYSL) has always been looking for volunteer coaches, especially at the youngest level where the coaches are almost as inexperienced as the kids. That’s why NYSL president Kristin White says the participation of the Nashua North girls to help out with teaching the youngest players the game was a welcome sight.

An earlier version of this story, due to some misinformation that was provided to nashuatelegraph.com by a school official, incorrectly painted the picture that the NYSL 6U division season would have to be cancelled due to a coaching shortage if the high school players didn’t take part. That, White said, is definitely not the case. But she did say the youths enjoy the guidance from the high school players. “They love it,” she said.

Either way, Thompson said the team was set to help out.

“To be honest, we just planned on doing it anyways, because we’ve been doing it for the last five years,” Thompson said. “The girls love it, and I feel it’s important that they give back to the community.

“They’re not just here to play soccer. There’s a lot more. Part of high school soccer is learning those life skills and learning how to give back. So we did it just for that purpose.”

The youths gather for their program at Greeley Park every Saturday. For the North players, the reason to do it is sound. They were once youth soccer players, too.

“I did it last year, too,” Titan Ashley Goh said. “It’s really great to foster these connections with these little kids, because one day we were all them.”

And that’s the key. White said the players assist the coaches, and teach some basic techniques to the youths. Back to their beginnings, so to speak.

“I’d say the majorithy of JV and varsity athletes if they started their careers in Nashua, probably started with the NYSL,” White said. “It’s really a nice way of not only giving back to the community but going back to their roots.

“The NYSL greatly appreciates the volunteerism of the North girls soccer team. We enjoy seeing them working with Nashua’s future high school players. They are wonderful athletes and role models who have a lot to offer our community.”

“It was great,” Titans goalie Grace Cardin said of the ongoing experience, but also the first time the players did it. “We were demonstrators, letting them know what to do, help out the coaches. It was great seeing them all so happy.

“We all loved it.”

“It’s really good for (the kids) to have the foundation, learn the basics,” Goh said, “and then they move up to (other) levels.”

The players started with clinic-type practices, teaching the kids basic fundamentals, and then the youths play scrimmages.

“It’s really good to see these kids build up (their skills),” North’s Natalie Burgess said. “I know, especially for me, I’m watching little girls especially, because the women’s sports aren’t as strong as the men’s sports. So being able to be leaders as women, especially, and show these little girls what they can be and how they can achieve it. Awesome to work with them.”

The Titans under Thompson have, as she said, made a point of helping out the youth levels but also forming a bond with the middle schools as well. At Tuesday’s game with Bedford, there were plenty of ball girls, all from the Elm Street Junior High girls soccer squad.

“We always try to get Elm Street in, and get them to come to our practices as well,” Thompson said. “I just think it’s really important. These girls were once there.

“You’re always that little girl looking up to be that high school (player) and I think that kind of puts it in perspective when you have that.”

And it’s just not the North girls who help out. A lot of Nashua school athletes in this and other sports help out. The Nashua South boys and girls soccer players, White said, are slated to work at a clinic with some of the older NYSL levels next month.

BG AD BROWN HAS HELP

Bishop Guertin High School athletic director Ryan Brown has some help this year, especially on game days, etc.

Introducing Zach Nelson, who was most recently a UMass-Lowell track and field assistant coach, and before that he was a high school teacher and coach in Albany, N.Y., at his alma mater, Albany Academy.

Will Nelson coach?

“We’re going to see how much this (game directing, etc.) takes up,” he said. “See how much free time do I have to be able to coach. But I’m hoping to. I take care of these games, and (Ryan) and I get along great.”

Nelson is a 2013 grad of St. Lawrence University, but he later ran track at UMass-Lowell as a grad student. He began coaching the River Hawks in 2019.

TOURNEY SITES

Here’s the latest on semis and finals neutral site info for some tourneys:

Locally, the Overlook Golf Club in Hollis will be the site of the Division I team golf tourney on Oct. 14, while Division II will be held at Rochester CC and III at Laconia CC. The boys individuals will all be at Beaver Meadow in Concord, and the girls individuals will once again be at Salem’s Campbell’s Scottish Highlands on Oct. 2 – just two weeks away.

Also, Stellos Stadium will serve as the site for the Division I and II boys soccer semis and finals while Bill Ball Stadium in Exeter will be used for Division I and II girls.

The Division III boys soccer semis and finals will return to Laconia while the girls are at Manchester Memorial.

Field hockey finals in all three divisions are in Bedford on Oct. 31.

CONGRATS

Congratulations are in order for Nashua North alum Noah Jenkins, a 2019 grad,for earlier this week receiving the NHIAA’s Walter Smith Award. He was the student manager of the North team while a student, and has still helped at athletic events.

More on this great development to come.

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