SWAMPSCOTT — Swampscott girls soccer coach Alvi Ibanez has a new job as the leader of the Big Blue program.
And although he’s just a week and a half into his new role at Swampscott, Ibanez has plenty to be optimistic about.
Originally, Ibanez was hired to coach the Swampscott boys team. When the position to coach the girls team became available a few weeks ago, Ibanez took it. Mike Amaral will coach the boys team.
Despite the fact that Swampscott graduated a large group of seniors from last season’s team that had a 16-1-1 regular season, Ibanez has liked what he’s seen from his returning players thus far in preseason practices.
“It has been a great start,” Ibanez, who previously coached at Hamilton-Wenham from 2012-2014, said. “I made sure that the line of communication was a two-way street. I made sure that the golden objectives assigned to each player were realistic. I made sure that each practice brought an objective and that the kids knew that objective. The respect has been great.”
The Big Blue are still figuring out their formations and rotations as the season opener looms. Ibanez said none of his players are locked into any specific roles, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
“The girls had a nice run last year and lost 10-12 seniors and most of them were starters,” Ibanez said. “It’s good because nobody’s locked into any position. We had our first scrimmage against Amesbury and we’re still looking to put our team together. We’ve been injury-free and we’re just trying to put a starting rotation and formations together.”
Key returners for the Big Blue include senior back Julianna Rhoads, junior midfielder/forward Haley Bernhardt, junior midfielder Grace DiGrande and junior midfielder/back Maddy Foutes.
A pair of junior are currently battling it out for the goalie position in returning starter Nikki Rosa and Fiona Herring.
“I like to keep two goalies,” Ibanez said. “The good thing is they can both play the field. It’s a huge help when you have goalies that can also contribute on the field.”
The biggest challenge for the Big Blue this fall will be limiting the talented and skilled offenses that opposing teams will carry throughout the Northeastern Conference. Swampscott will look to combat that challenge with a stout defense.
“The biggest thing for me as a coach is knowing the schedule changed,” Ibanez, who played soccer at Salem State from 1986-1988 said. “We play the top dogs in the NEC twice. The teams like Beverly, Danvers, Peabody, we play those teams twice. We have to bring a strong team defense that can withstand the offense those teams bring at us. We’ve spent a lot of energy making sure that our defense is organized.”
Aside from defense, Ibanez and the Big Blue will also aim to master the art of team play. Knowing that the NEC will be competitive, Ibanez said Swampscott will need to approach each game with a complete team effort.
“I like to be good at team play,” Ibanez said. “When we lose the ball we play team defense and when we get the ball we play team offense. Everyone contributes because in the NEC, we need that. Nobody can hide in the shadows or spectate. We all have to contribute.”
“As a team, we’ll go further than relying on one or two individuals,” Ibanez added.
The Big Blue open the new season on Sept. 9 against Monument . They’ll be the first team to play on the new turf at Blocksidge Field.
“I’m excited,” Ibanez said. “I’m a new coach. I’ve always wanted to coach the girls at Swampscott and I’m glad I got the opportunity. I’m enjoying it.”
