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Rosalina Santos: From Player to Coach

Rosalina Santos, a 2015 Woodland Graduate, spent her Woodland career as a member of the girl’s soccer team. She came full circle and is now the coach for the JV girls soccer team and is the assistant coach for the varsity girls soccer team.

Santos started her coaching career as a Freshman/JV Girls soccer coach at Pomperaug High School, but when she got the call about an open coaching position for her alma mater, without any hesitation took the interview.

“I remember getting goosebumps during my interview,” said Santos, “even thinking about having the opportunity to come back to my old high school to coach.”

Adjusting to the change of being a player then a coach can be difficult for some, and for Santos, it was a little shocking to be back on the same field she used to spend so many hours on. But as time went on, she felt well adjusted and was able to make connections with the players.

“Coming into the program, I knew what to expect and what we were looking for as coaches because at one point I was, them, which made it a lot easier for me to connect with them,” said Santos.

During her time as a coach, Santos hopes to accomplish a few things. She wants to show the players and coaches how to create a sense of family on the field. In addition to that, she hopes to demonstrate what Hawk Pride truly is and possibly encourage that behavior outside of the field.

But with all these challenges and adjustments also comes some fun. Santos believes that she has had the most fun being a coach rather than a player because of the experiences it comes with. Whether that would be watching her players go through the experiences Santos loved the most in high school or even just being able to give advice to better the team.

With the season coming to an end, Santos looks back and thinks very fondly of this experience. “As a coach, the 2021 Girls Soccer Team will always hold a special place in my heart as it’s my first team here at Woodland,” said Santos.

Gabby Costa

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