By Matt Browning
Wichita Trinity girls soccer coach Andrew Hackett understands the impact the sport he coaches goes far past the wins and losses.
He tries to convey that message throughout the season for the Knight, who just so happen to be the top team in Class 4-1A West.
“Goals and expectations can only be summed up by a mentor of mine, who only passed through my life for a short period,” Hackett said. “He is the head football coach at Whitworth University, Rod Sandberg. His coaching philosophy is something that I try to emulate. His take on winning: ‘What makes us different is that our program’s mission is to be LIFE-CHANGING. Not win games.’”
At the time of this profile being written, Trinity has only one loss and that was to Class 5A powerhouse, Kapaun. The Knights have the talent to certainly zoom past their regional championship this season.
“Just two years ago, we finished my first season at Trinity with a 7-8 record before going on a winning streak all the way to the state final,” Hackett said. “Our successes are defined by what we have learned on and off the field, by the relationships we grew and cultivated, and by the memories we can share for a lifetime.”
Hackett has five key players that have set the tone for Trinity’s successful regular season: Haley Green, JoJo Henderson, Abby Tofteland, Sophia Baker and Abby Diefenderfer.
“I think the girls have it in the back of their minds that we can win a state title,” Hackett said. “Although that should be the main prize, our goal at the beginning of the season was to get back into the final four. Then we will see what happens.”
