Providence Classical Christian School in Oxford may be small in number, but its girls soccer team flexed its competitive spirit by winning a state championship in May. It was the first such title in the history of the school, which opened in 2005. The fact that Providence once discontinued its soccer program made the run to a championship all the more satisfying.
The return of the sport has been something to behold and served as a rallying cry for the school, according to first-year athletic director Jon Krieger.
“Watching from the sidelines and seeing them grow as a team made me very proud.” - Ava Stanley
"I was told that we stopped the soccer program mainly because we lost the facility we were renting," Krieger said. "Our school does not have a playing field or a gym of its own yet. We started the soccer program back this year after a 10-year hiatus mainly because our students asked for it."
Providence competes under the Georgia Association of Private and Parochial Schools banner. Peachtree Academy in Covington and the Blue Springs Youth Soccer Association in Loganville allowed the Warriors to rent practice and game time during the season.
“We are a very small private school, with 27 high school students," Krieger said. "We are allowed to have a small number of homeschool students play with us.”
Two of the most outspoken advocates behind the soccer program's rebirth were seniors Ava Stanley and Henry Ferguson.
"They both had been playing for other teams because that is allowed in GAPPS if your school does not have a program of its own," Krieger said. "Ava said she really thought the girls would be very competitive because many underclassmen from the school had been playing together for several years." Unfortunately, Stanley suffered a season-ending knee injury—she tore her ACL and meniscus—in the second game of the season.
"It looked as if we might not have the season we were hoping for when she got hurt," Krieger said. "However, after her surgery, Ava continued to show up to practices and games, and the rest of the team responded to seeing her there with a never-give-up attitude. She gave God the glory in probably the hardest time in her life but knew that He had a plan. We just didn't know that the plan was to win a state championship with her on the sideline."
Stanley took it all in stride.
"I had surgery on April 3 and am recovering well," she said. "I hope to play again at [the University of Georgia] on either a club team or intramural team. Prior to the injury, I played soccer for six years. This allowed me to help coach using my knowledge of the sport. Our team is primarily underclassmen. I was the only senior, and we had four juniors and one sophomore. The remaining eight players were in eighth and ninth grade. Additionally, many of the girls had never played soccer before. For a team to have performed as well as we did with so many factors is astonishing."
The team excelled under first-year head coach Kylie Myers. A former club and Division II player, she also coaches in the United Football Academy system in Loganville.
"The keys to our team's success this season were consistency in the simple things, especially ball control and passing," Myers said. "We really emphasized making the most out of every minute in training. Every time the girls touch the ball, they improve, so we focused on using our practice time wisely and maximizing touches on the ball." One of the most significant challenges involved teaching players with various levels of experience. "Some girls had played soccer for many years, while a few had never played before," Myers said. "While we worked hard to develop soccer skills and understanding of the game, our ultimate focus was much bigger than wins and losses. We wanted the girls to compete with character, encourage one another and honor God in the way they played, treated others and represented PCCS. We consistently reminded them that their effort, attitude and sportsmanship were opportunities to reflect their faith, both on and off the field."
In addition to Stanley, the team was led by six All-Region players: Hannah Cliburn, Sarah Cliburn, Anna Jones, Tori Lingerfelt, Elise McNutt and Maddisyn Sellars. Jones, Lingerfelt, McNutt and the Cliburns also earned All-State honors. Lila Ferguson, Addie DeWeber, Naomi Wadley, Ella Pope, Jackie Kirkland, Ava Kuffrey, Charis Atkins and Emily Jones rounded out the roster. Stacey Stanley and Matt Sokolik assisted Myers.
"The girls bought into the process from day one, worked hard consistently and continued to improve throughout the season," Myers said. "Their attitude, effort and willingness to learn made this championship season very special. Beyond the success on the field, the coaches developed meaningful relationships with these young ladies and have grown in our respect for their character, leadership and heart for others, both on and off the field."
Stanley called it a true team effort.
"We had practices starting in January, which helped us learn how to play with one another and learn basic skills, as well," she said. "We then applied those skills to game-like scenarios. The biggest skill our team had to grow in the most was trust. Many of the experienced girls did not trust the newer players. As soon as they learned how to trust in one another was when they started seeing change. Our passes became better, people encouraged one another and the love of the game grew in everyone."
The Lady Warriors lost only two games all season.
"The teams we lost to were not even in our association," Stanley said. "We won every game in our division, taking us to quarterfinals, semifinals and then winning state. Watching from the sidelines and seeing them grow as a team made me very proud. I would often sit on the bench missing the player I used to be and the sport itself. This experience has taught me to never take anything for granted and to find joy in all things. I could not be more grateful to be on this team and be able to still participate despite my injury."
Soccer's rebirth at Providence provided students with a cause behind which they could unify and altered the school's trajectory in athletics. Krieger praised Staley and Ferguson for their persistence and commitment.
"I am so blessed to be at a school that has students like Ava and Henry," he said. "We are going to miss them tremendously next year, but I know that they will be forever remembered for their influence in getting the Providence soccer program started back again; and they will be remembered for contributing to the school's first state championship."
