05/27/2026
Tonight we played Goodrich, the #1 ranked team in Division 3 girls soccer. We lost 5-0, but I could not be more proud of this team. They never backed down and made Goodrich earn every single goal.
This group has worked incredibly hard all season long. We pushed them constantly, always asking for more, and every time they responded. Like any season, there were losses and mistakes — from both players and coaches — but they learned from them, grew from them, and kept moving forward.
Several girls played through injuries (with medical clearance, of course). Wrapped ankles, taped knees, ice packs after games — but you still couldn’t have dragged them off the field if you tried. This team simply does not know how to quit.
Some girls didn’t get as much playing time as they hoped for, but they still showed up every day ready to work. And when they weren’t on the field, they were on the sidelines cheering nonstop for their teammates. More than once, girls told me their throats hurt after games from yelling so much. That’s what great teammates do.
This was a transition year for Durand Girls Soccer.
For years, we battled low numbers, injuries, and games where we didn’t even have a full 11 players. In fact, for the last five seasons, we had at least one game every year where we played short-handed. Some seasons we won only one game. But this year felt different.
This year, we had a full roster of 21 players and finished with a winning record. We have girls with passion, toughness, and a relentless drive to compete. Girls who don’t understand the concepts of “letting up” or “taking it easy.”
I never want to discount the players from previous years. Those girls fought through impossible situations and, quite honestly, kept this program alive. They laid the foundation for what this program is becoming.
And now, the future of Durand Girls Soccer is incredibly bright.
I’ve talked before about the teams I coached in 2018 and 2019 and how we hadn’t had a winning record since then. This season, we finished 10-9 — the most wins in a season in many years and one more than our 2018 team.
Our season may be over, but I have a feeling this team is just getting started.
I’m already excited for next year.
