Flowers soccer team in familiar place
Jaguars seeking seventh coach since Springdale school opened in 2000
Members of the Charles H. Flowers High School boys' soccer team walked off the field July 22 after a victory in a seven-on-seven summer league game at Prince George's Community College in Largo. The players grabbed their bags and equipment and headed over to a bench for some rest.
The Jaguars' next game was later that day against the Gold Dawgs from Southern High School in Anne Arundel County. They discussed what happened in their victory against Pumas FC and talked about strategy for their next game. But there was one glaring absence from their team huddle: a coach.
The Flowers' boys' varsity soccer program is finishing its summer season and conditioning, but still doesn't have a coach to run the program. Flowers Athletic Director Carl Rose said the Springdale school is working on finding a new coach as soon as possible.
"Yesterday would be great," Rose said. "We are still doing the search and we are trying to keep it within the school system. We just haven't found anyone yet."
Winston Miller ascended from assistant coach to head coach at Flowers last season. But Rose said Miller accepted a teaching job outside of Prince George's County, which left the Jaguars without a coach. Miller's successor will be the Jaguars' seventh head coach since the school opened in the fall of 2000.
Rose said the job has been open since January, but he hasn't received much interest. He added that he will continue looking for a permanent coach, even if he has to name someone on a temporary basis for the start of the season.
"We aren't going to stop looking until we find the right person," Rose said. "The people that we have had have been emergency coaches not in the system. We want someone in the school system that is dedicated to running this program."
Flowers' parent Aubrey Flynt has been coaching the summer league team while the coaching search continues. His son, Kyle Majors, recently graduated from Flowers and will attend Alabama A&M in the fall to continue his soccer career.
The revolving door of coaches has been difficult for the team and everyone involved with the program.
"When you need a coach, you have to go out and get a coach," Flynt said. "I am helping out as much as I can. The new coach has missed out on the summer league and will have a tough time getting everyone together."
Senior Dominique Monayong said the team can still work on getting better even though a coach isn't present during the summer league games and conditioning sessions. Most of the players on the team have played together for the past three years, so establishing team chemistry shouldn't be a problem.
"We really don't think about it and just use things we have learned from the years before," Monayong said. "Not having a coach hasn't really affected us that much. I am sure we will find someone before the start of the season. We are just working on playing as a team and getting ready for the season."
E-mail Joshua Hudson at jhudson@gazette.net.