For the past 32 years, there had been one constant on the soccer fields at Hanover High School.
The constant ? girls coach Garth Nelson, who started the girls team at the school 32 years ago and was the only head coach at the school until Coach Nelson passed away last week at the age of 65.
He left a legacy of success, both on and off the field, compiling more than 300 victories, a couple of State Championships, six second-place finishes and 24 straight playoff appearances.
There were League titles and numerous players followed high school careers with scholarships and a love of the sport for life.
As a writer, I had a good fortune of covering the girls team and talking to Coach Nelson about his team.
Coach Nelson was always happy to talk, and was the first to deflect the praise to his players, even after he won his 300th career game Oct. 25, 2010.
?It took 30 years and a lot of patience,? Nelson said after a short ceremony where he presented his players with special 300 pins in honor of the achievement, and the fact that the win was the program?s 300th, not just his. ?I love the game. I love to coach. Before the girls started I was the JV coach for the boys. A lot of things have happened in 30 years. We have four sectional championships, three Eastern Mass. championships , two state titles and three appearances in the state championship game and 12 League Championships.?
To make the day more special was the fact that it happened on Senior Day.
?We have 10 seniors and we started them all,? he said. ?They all played the whole game. This is a talented class. We have a nice combination.?
That same day, he explained what kept the retired chemistry teacher coming back for soccer year after year.
?There?s no question about it. I enjoy this,? he said after No. 300. ?This is one of the great pleasures of my life. It?s different from the academic environment. It is great to be involved in a non-academic way, where life lessons are learned. This is an excellent group of kids. It?s one of my most enjoyable teams. They?re great to work with on a daily basis. They work hard for each other and care for each other.?
Coach Nelson also cared for his players.
He respected them as people, and every time I was there, accentuated the positive, even after losses.
I can?t remember a negative word from him.
I also remember a gentleman who always made it a point to look my daughters in the eye and say hello whenever they joined me at a game. He always wanted to know how they were doing, and my kids always said how nice he was when we?d be walking back to the parking lot.
That to me said a lot.
The fact that when he hit a milestone like win No. 300, he gave gifts to his players also said a lot.
Coach Nelson was the epitome of class.
As a coach, the championships and playoff appearances were an indicator of his coaching skill and knowledge of the game.
There were times where he would talk about experimenting with moving players into new positions, and it just about always worked, and many times, the players worked so well in the new spots that they stuck with them after high school or with their club teams.
A couple of years ago, Hanover was in a bit of a rebuilding mode, and made the playoffs through the Sullivan Rule, allowing them to join the tournament on the strength of their record against teams in their own division.
That season, Hanover had only played a few games against Div. 3 teams, and were successful. The rest of the games were against upper division teams, including some very tough opponents.
Hanover went into the Div. 3 South Sectionals with a No. 19 seed.
When the tournament ended for Hanover, they had a winning record and made it all the way to the Sectional semifinal, where they were edged 2-1 in penalty kicks by eventual champion Dover-Sherborn.
?It was a very good game,? Nelson said in typical fashion. ?I?m very proud of them. They?re a great crew. They like each other and play hard for each other. I feel for my ten seniors. When you go down in the tournament you go down with a thud, but this team could just have easily been celebrating victory.
??I give the Dover-Sherborn girls credit. They fought to come back.?
Coach Nelson, along with his long-time associate coach Dave Newbitt, was a fan of the game as well.
There were a few times I ran into him while covering games from other teams in my zone, and he would be there to enjoy a game. He was also a big fan of having the high school kids work with younger kids in the Youth Program. It was a regular event that was enjoyed by many.
To his family, friends, players and the town of Hanover, my thoughts are with you.
I personally will honor Coach Nelson by remembering his legacy and all the positive energy that left Hanover a better place for his being there.
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