Saint Xavier University bolstered their coach’s office over the summer by welcoming Jim Harkness as the new head coach of the Women’s Soccer team.
I had the opportunity to sit down and have a conversation with Coach Harkness and discuss the upcoming season, his goals for the team, as well as his personal goals.
A Brother Rice graduate, Harkness coached for the Cougars’ Men’s Soccer team from 2005 to 2012, before stepping away to spend more time with his family. Now back in the red and gold, he’s ready to redefine what it means to play women’s soccer at SXU.
Harkness said he’s always wanted to return to Saint Xavier but the timing was never right. So when the head coach position opened, he knew it was time to come back.
“I need[ed] to be back here, I love this school”, he said about the university.
Despite a positive attitude about his first season back with us, Harkness was candid about the struggles the team faced last year finishing with a 3-14-1 record, saying, “[Other people] have very low expectations for us.”
Although the confidence he and his assistant coach, Mike Rigas, have is what they anticipate will be a driving force for the players as the season progresses.
With sports, confidence is key and the coaching staff has it in abundance. What they’re hoping for is that the players will continue to build their confidence with every practice game.
“I’m not nervous about playing anybody”, Harkness said about the season, “They learn every day… We’re blessed.”
And although winning a conference championship is the ultimate goal, coach knows that they need to take small steps to get from one point to the next.
There might not be anyone on campus more excited for this season than Coach Harkness. Nevertheless, his ultimate goal is to have a positive and memorable influence on his players.
“From the day I signed my contract, [my goal] is to make sure that these girls have a good experience,” Harkness said.
It is vehemently clear that Harkness not only wants the soccer team to get to the next level, but he knows how to take the players there.
Through positive reinforcement, Coach Harkness and the rest of his coaching staff are going to change the game one day at a time and take the women’s soccer program to a better place than ever before.
The Saint Xavier community is lucky to have individuals like Jim Harkness on staff, who want to go places with the university and aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty to get there.
The Women’s Soccer team plays their next game at Holy Cross College in Notre Dame, In. The game is scheduled for an 11AM start time.
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