By David Fleet
Editor
After 14 seasons at the helm of the Girls Soccer Team—Coach Evan Huizenga announced last week it’s time for a change.
“Family has to be first,” said Huizenga. “We preach family each day on the teams I’ve coached and that means me too.”
Huizenga has opted to step down after a stellar 142-103-17 record as coach of the Martian Girls Soccer team, which included Genesee Area Conference Championships in 2010, 2011, 2016 and 2019 and a Blackhawk Cup Championship in 2017. He will continue to coach the Martian Boys Team this fall.
Overall as the Goodrich Soccer Coach, Huizenga has tallied a 377-175-36 record including a 2008 state championship with the boys team.
“My wife and I have two children Alexis, 11, and Andrew, 9, they are both active in travel sports now and in the past I’ve missed a few games,” he said. “It’s time to be with them—those days goes fast—I need to be there.”
Alexis plays with the Goodrich Angels travel softball team while Andrew is on the Goodrich Thunder Baseball Team. Huizenga will be part of the coaching staff.
A former soccer standout, Huizenga grew up playing youth soccer in Goodrich and Brandon. A 1997 GHS graduate, he played four years on the varsity team, then went on to play at Tri State University, which is now Trine University in Angola, Ind. While there he was also a youth league coach. After college he started working with the high school teams the fall after graduation. He spent a few years with the JV team and as an assistant coach then took over the varsity program.
“I’ve enjoyed the time with the Goodrich girls teams,” he said. “It’s been an honor to be a part of their development and school experience. The opportunity for travel soccer has increased dramatically over the past 25 years, creating a feeder program for high school varsity soccer and college competition.”