RUMFORD — When the opportunity to move into a high school varsity coaching job presented itself, Lynn Gould was eager to take the step forward.

Gould, who accepted the role of girls’ soccer coach at Mountain Valley High School,  strongly believes she is ready for the challenge.

While it may appear to be unchartered waters, Gould has paid her dues. The River Valley native had been the junior varsity coach for the past two seasons. Prior to that she was middle school coach for 15 years.

Those hands-on experiences will be an asset when she directs the  Falcons in the Mountain Valley Conference.

“Stepping up to the high school level was something that I had always thought about doing and had been asked to do by players that I had coached, but I never had the confidence to do so,” Gould said. “When the opening in the JV level came up, I took the leap, and after getting my feet wet I decided to make the leap to varsity.”

Gould’s passion for soccer was reinforced in June, when she had the pleasure of traveling to Boston to watch the United States women’s team play South Korea.

An Ed Tech III at the middle school, Gould knows the players, which has made for a smoother transition this summer. Should all of them return, the Falcons will have a large returning group that includes up to 10 seniors.

“Being in the district makes things a lot smoother,” said Gould, who also is also the track and field coach at the middle school. “But what made the transition so smooth was having coached all of them, beginning in their middle school years.”

Gould implemented a summer workout program for the girls to help get them ready for the season. She also looking to change some of the formations on the field.

Scott Underhill is the new JV coach.

Gould’s coaching philosophy is geared toward team play.

“While winning is nice, it is not everything and is not a true overall indicator of success,” Gould said. “I believe if an athlete makes gains athletically and personally, that is the real success indicator. If an athlete or team can walk off the field satisfied that they have given 100-plus percent, then that is all I can ask for regardless of what the scoreboard says.”

Many soccer coaches played in the sport in high school. That isn’t the case with Gould, who graduated before girls’ soccer became a sanctioned sport at the high school level.

Her family has a strong connection to the sport, however. Gould’s father, Ray Broomhall, was the first soccer coach at Mexico High School. Her grandfather, the late William “Scotty” Whytock, was a semipro soccer player in the region.

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