Austin Public Schools has announced the hiring of David Bahr as the new head coach of the Packers girls soccer program. 

Bahr brings over three decades of experience, leadership, and player development to the Austin sidelines.

Bahr’s coaching journey spans high school, youth, and club soccer — most recently serving as the head boys soccer coach at Byron High School from 2018-2024, where he led the program to a Section 1AA Championship and State Tournament appearance in 2021. 

He holds a combined high school varsity coaching record of 222-247-33 and has been recognized multiple times as section and state Coach of the Year.

“I am very excited to get back to coaching High School Girls, after spending the last 15 years coaching High School Boys,” Bahr said. “Austin provides the perfect home with great school administrators, first class facilities and a great fan base.  All the ingredients to develop a top-notch program. I can’t wait to get started.”

“Coach Bahr’s experience, passion for the game, and commitment to student-athlete development stood out clearly in our search process,” said Katie Carter, AHS activities director. “He brings a rare combination of deep tactical knowledge, program-building experience, and a genuine heart for mentorship. We are thrilled to welcome him to the Austin Athletics family.”

From 2001–2009, Bahr led the Mayo High School girls’ varsity team to two conference championships and earned five National Academic Team Awards. His tenure with Kasson-Mantorville boys soccer from 2010–2015 saw the program achieve its most successful run in school history, culminating in Bahr being named Minnesota State Coach of the Year in 2015.

Outside of coaching, Bahr served in the Army National Guard as a medical corpsman and has been deeply involved in volunteer work across multiple youth sport boards and community soccer initiatives for more than 30 years. 

His coaching philosophy emphasizes character, leadership, tactical intelligence, and academic excellence.

As the school year comes to a close, Swarthmore athletes begin to clear out of their team locker rooms and reflect on their respective season. Cleats, jerseys, sneakers, hair bands – these everyday items trickle out of the Field House day by day, creating space for our mind and bodies to recuperate. So … what do sports mean to us? After a semester of reading, writing, and editing dozens of articles and interviews, the question often crosses our minds. Sports, at various levels and commitments, have simultaneously created and shaped our current senses of self. From the inception of sports in our lives, they have become an outlet, a friendship, a shared laugh in between the gruel of conditioning, and empowerment through gaining and growing fitness levels or muscles. Whether it be through the experiences shared on the Swarthmore women’s soccer team, the hours-long travelling between games, or the childhood moments practicing with our tired but loving parents, we have shared pieces of life that tether us together. Sports, and everything in between, serve as reminders that we have passed through identical doors that open to uniquely trodden paths. Similar, but different.

I stepped onto campus for the first time in August, when the heat threatened to suffocate and humidity stuck shirt to skin. With anticipation to begin the next big milestone of my soccer career, I unpacked my gear into the team locker room with all 30 of my teammates doing the same seemingly monotonous task. When we finished, cubbies were stuffed with backpacks and back-up cleats, post-it notes and pens, loose hair ties and phone chargers. Turf beads that had slithered their way indoors infested the floors. An actual stray brick propped our locker room door slightly ajar at all times. This locker room would be the room where I would meet my closest friends, hopefully lifelong buddies. This would be the room where I would laugh and joke and scream to pre-game music. But this, too, would be the room where we’d change in silence after a tough loss or I would solemnly reflect about a poor performance. In this room would be moments where I would wonder if I was good enough to play college soccer in the first place. The locker room would be a place where parts of me would live and integral parts of me would be questioned. This locker room, in some ways, is alive and breathing.

How can 30 young women from all hometowns and backgrounds transform a foreign space into a lived-in home? How do strangers from far away places just “be” together?

Honestly, after all my years of involving myself in sports, I’m still not sure. However, I know that the basis of our connection, of the threads that sew us together, has transcended beyond our commitment to play soccer for the Garnet. Sports do more than just turn people into good athletes and fans; they morph the potential of an individual into a relationship. More than high fives and post-game hugs, we see each other through the joys and pains of sports because we walk through the same doors that lead us forward in our athletic journeys. Similar, but different. 

If you look closely enough, you’ll see that moments of shared life go beyond just sports. To our readers and writers, if there is anything to take away from this article, it is to live in the things you love to be and do. Immerse yourself, make yourself at home! Reorganize the furniture and hang portraits and paintings, repaint the walls and put flowers in vases! Find your people, in sports or not, and grow to live with them in a space that grows uniqueness in togetherness. Similar but different!

MANSFIELD – Mansfield Director of Athletics Peggy Carl has announced that Spencer Reinford has been named Mansfield’s new head women’s soccer coach. Reinford becomes the fourth coach in program history.

“We are thrilled to welcome Spencer Reinford to the Mountie Family as Mansfield’s next head coach for women’s soccer. His experiences both as a player and as a relentless recruiter will serve the program and the university well,” Carl stated. “He has a first-hand understanding of the importance of both recruiting and retention, and will bring some much-needed stability to the program. Spencer is committed to excellence and is exactly the right fit for us.”

Reinford comes to Mansfield from Bridgewater College, located in Bridgewater, Virginia, where he has served as the assistant women’s soccer coach since 2023. Some of his main duties at Bridgewater included recruiting, creating and executing practice plans and video analysis.

“I am honored to be named the head women’s soccer coach at Mansfield. I would like to sincerely thank Athletic Director Peggy Carl and the search committee for entrusting me with the opportunity to lead this program,” Reinford said. “I’m excited to work with our talented student-athletes and build on the foundation already in place. Mansfield’s strong academic reputation and commitment to developing well-rounded student-athletes make this a truly special place. I look forward to helping our team grow, make consistent progress in the competitive Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, and represent the university with pride, both on and off the field.”

Prior to Bridgewater, Reinford served as assistant soccer coach at Bethany College from 2021-23. Additionally, he served as the Dillsburg Area Soccer Club U10 and U17 Head Coach from 2020 through 2021, while also running Reinford Performance Soccer Training as a private trainer.

“We are pleased to welcome Coach Reinford to the Mansfield Athletics family.” said Gretchen Sechrist, Interim Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Education, and Mansfield campus administrator. “His knowledge and leadership are sure to be an asset to the Mounties and we are looking forward to the future of Mansfield women’s soccer.”

Reinford has extensive collegiate playing experience after competing for both the University of Rio Grande and Coastal Carolina University programs.

At University of Rio Grande, Reinford was part of three national tournament appearances (2015, 2017, and 2019), two River States Championships (2015, 2017) and was a member of the 2015 NAIA Men’s Soccer National Champion team. At Coastal Carolina – in 2016 – Reinford was a member of the Sun Belt Conference Championship team.

From 2013-14, Reinford trained with the Philadelphia Union’s Major League Soccer Academy team.

The gym at Stanhope Elmore High School was full of excitement last Friday as five different students inked their next athletic endeavor in college.

“This is a big day for us here at Stanhope High School,” athletic director Hunter Adams said. “These kids are getting to continue their dream of playing in college.”

Jamari Coleman will play football at Huntingdon College; Zoie Holmes will play volleyball at Lawson State Community College; Jay Meyers will play soccer at Mississippi College; Thomas Richardson will play soccer at Southern Union State Community College and Toni Taylor will throw the discus and shot at Huntingdon College.

All the student athletes acknowledged family, God and friends as being a large part of their dreams to play at the next level becoming reality. 

Holmes had been going to camps at Lawson State for the last two years with hopes of elevating her game and playing at college volleyball.

“It really means a lot because making it to the next level, that’s like the ultimate goal of playing sports in school,” Holmes said. “I was always, I was going to go to college regardless, but I really, really wanted to have the experience of playing ball. So it feels really good to be able to walk away from Stanhope Elmore to do that.”

Holmes started to connect with the current team at Lawson State through a camp this past summer.

“They took a really strong interest in me,” Holmes said. “They really wanted me to come to their school and then I got the tour. I met the team. I stayed with the team. It was really a really good experience that I really enjoyed.”

Holmes will be close to family in Birmingham as her older sister Zyou is at UAB. Her younger sister Zori is going to the University of South Alabama.

Richardson thanked God for his talents and giving him a chance to play at the next level. Richardson also thanked his parents for all that they did for him to get him ready for high school and college soccer.

“I want to thank my parents for all the money and time they spent to get me to this point,” Richardson said. “I’d like to thank my coaches and my future coaches for putting their trust in me and just allowing me to play for the program. They have helped me improve to become the player that I am today.”

Richardson’s teammate Meyers signed with Mississippi College and has plans to attend seminary.

“I just wanted to express how grateful I am for this opportunity,” Meyers said. “I would not be able to do this without Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. None of this would be possible. I want to encourage everyone in this room that doesn’t have Jesus as your Lord and Savior to talk to somebody to further that relationship with Him. Because without him, like, I wouldn’t be able to do this at all.”

Adams is also the football coach at Stanhope Elmore. He has been on the field with Coleman for the last four years and has grown a deep admiration for the student athlete.

“He’s a catalyst,” Adams said. “When he has a great day of practice, where he has a great workout everybody does. You got to love that about him. He brings the energy in the room. There’s a reason that C is on his jersey.”

Coleman signed to play at Huntingdon College and got support from his family as he spoke to the student body.

“I want to thank my mom for being there for me when no one else was,” Coleman said. “She has been my backbone from the start of it all. I thank her for all the support that she’s given me throughout the years. No matter what it was, she was already there. She was always standing there in my corner.”

Taylor has been Stanhope Elmore’s mascot. She is also an athlete who has tried many sports but being a thrower in track and field stuck.

“My mama’s been there for me every time I had a new sport in mind,” Taylor said. “I picked up basketball. Track and field she was like, ‘Go for it. She took me to each meet I had. She did not let me ride that bus at all.”

Adams said football athlete Arthur McQueen will sign at a later date.

“We are still evaluating some last minute offers,” Adams said.

2011 Brookdale graduate and former men’s soccer team midfielder Mike Yuhas reflects on his time as a Jersey Blues student-athlete. The discipline, balance, and resilience he mastered helped create his strong work ethic. It assisted him to reach his full potential as a plumbing business owner and a part-time commercial actor.

“Being a student-athlete at Brookdale was a unique and challenging experience that has profoundly shaped my life. Balancing the demands of academics with the rigor of sports required discipline, time management, and resilience at a young age. My schedule consisted of practices, games, travel, and academic responsibilities. Balancing these commitments fostered discipline and contributed to the strong work ethic I have today.

“As a student-athlete at Brookdale, I would face setbacks at times, such as losing a game or healing from an injury. These challenges taught me to be mentally tough and resilient. I learned to cope with failure, stay focused under pressure, and ultimately develop a ‘never give up’ attitude—the experience of training, traveling, and competing together created bonds among my teammates and coaches. Coach Costa and Coach Fraley were a constant source of support on and off the field, checking in and offering guidance whenever needed. I’m grateful for the role Brookdale played in helping me reach my full potential.”

EASTON, PA – Lafayette College women’s soccer head coach Mick Statham announced the addition of five new Leopards to the Class of 2029.

Lafayette’s incoming signees hail from four different states and encompass all four positional groups. The class features two midfielders, a defender, a forward and a goalkeeper from Pennsylvania, Illinois, Massachusetts and New York.

“I am very proud of the student-athletes that have committed to Lafayette in this class”, Statham said. “They are talented group which will no doubt improve our quality. I also love all their personalities. They are smart, enthusiastic and incredibly warm and positive. I look forward to the class enhancing the fabulous returning group we have.”

More information on each of the newest Leopards can be found below:

———

Katie Edwards

AT DOWNINGTON STEM: Four-year varsity player…senior captain…2024 All-Ches-Mont First Team… 2023 All-Ches-Mont Second Team…2021 District 4A Champion…2023 ECNL North Atlantic All-Conference Team with youth club FC DELCO…served as a Student-Athlete Leadership Council Member…International Baccalaureate Diploma Candidate…member of the National Honor Society…Chess Club Executive…distinguished honor roll.

Why Lafayette: The opportunity to play Division I soccer while excelling academically in a competitive and supportive environment is why I instantly knew I wanted to be a Leopard.

Calleigh Elder

AT BELLINGHAM: Five-year varsity starter…2023 Tri-Valley League All-Star…2024 Tri-Valley League All-Star…played club soccer with Scorpions SC…three-time team MVP…four-year high honor roll student…member of the National Honor Society.

Why Lafayette: I chose Lafayette because the minute I walked on campus, I knew that I wanted to spend the next four years there. The combination of rigorous academics, competitive soccer, and being a perfect distance from home made the decision to attend Lafayette a seamless, easy commitment to make. The team and coaches instantly welcomed me from my first visit and made me feel at home.

Mary Claire Galante

AT ST. IGNATIUS: Two-year varsity starter…amassed over 200 career saves…All-Conference selection two times…All-Sectional Team two times…All-Conference Academic Team two times…2024 voted No. 1 goalkeeper in the section by the IHSSCA…played for 2024 IHSA regional and sectional champions…2024 IHSA 2A quarterfinalists…played club soccer for Eclipse Select…qualified for 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 ECNL National Playoffs…member of the National Honor Society…member of the Spanish Honor Society

Why Lafayette: From the moment I drove up College Hill, I knew that Lafayette was the perfect place I had been looking to spend the next four years of my life. The coaches are remarkable and I know their style of coaching will help me push myself to grow as both a person and player. In all, the ability to challenge myself and pursue rigorous academic and athletic excellence whilst surrounded by a fun, supportive, and dedicated group of women was everything I had ever asked for in my college experience.

Alle Hughes

AT PELHAM MEMORIAL: Totaled over 45 goals and assists in high school…four-year varsity starter…led team in goals…senior captain…Lohud Elite 11 Finalist Watchlist two times…Lohud Elite 11 Best of the Rest List…played for New York Soccer Club…Girls Academy League Champions Cup Finalist…3 Star Ranked Player by Top Drawer Soccer…All-Lower Hudson Valley/Westchester/Putnam County All-Star team honors…All-Section honors two times…All-League honors four times…National Honor Society…English/Math/Spanish/Science National Honor Societies

Why Lafayette: From the moment that I first stepped on campus and met Coach Statham, Coach Herr, and the team, I instantly knew that Lafayette was the place that I wanted to spend my next four years. The very competitive soccer program, amazing people, challenging academics, and beautiful campus made my decision easy, and I can’t wait to be a Leopard!

Era Methoxha

AT ST. GEORGE’S: ODP Midwest Regional Team member…WPSL Summer League member…starter for Bayer Leverkusen…German Bundesliga U17 Championship winners…Bayer Leverkusen U23 Player…Albanian National Team player for four years…named U16 and U17 captain…called up to Women’s National team for games against Belgium and Armenia.

Why Lafayette: I chose Lafayette because it provides the perfect balance of strong academics, community and a competitive athletic program. The campus and support for student-athletes made it feel like the perfect fit for me. As I went on my visit, I saw many appealing aspects that got me very excited about my future and made me call Lafayette home. The beautiful atmosphere and society that Lafayette holds offers the perfect place for growth on so many different levels. I cannot wait to continue the next 4 years of my academic and athletic career as a Leopard!