For the week of December 24 - 30, 2003

Swain takes helm as WRHS soccer coach

Female coach for guy’s team

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Ketchum resident Farrell Swain, 23, a former high-school All-American girls’ soccer player in Connecticut, has been promoted to boys’ varsity soccer coach at Wood River High School.

Wood River High athletic director Ron Martinez said Swain was hired Wednesday after the seven-member coach selection committee conducted interviews with four candidates.

Having coached the Wood River boys’ junior varsity the past two years, Swain will now be one of a handful of women coaching boys’ varsity prep sports in the Gem State.

She is looking forward to the challenge of continuing Hailey’s winning tradition, which includes six straight state tournament championship game appearances and three state titles.

"We’re moving up to 4A, but we’ve played 4A teams all along and I expect us to win," said Swain, only the fourth varsity coach since the Hailey school introduced boys’ soccer in 1986.

Swain, who was endorsed for the Wolverine head coaching job by outgoing boys’ varsity coach Brian Daluiso, was given the nod because of three primary factors, Martinez said.

"I’m pleased that Brian endorsed her for the job, and it just so happened that the committee came to same conclusion," said Martinez.

Martinez said Swain is headed towards obtaining national certification in soccer coaching. She is young and enthusiastic, and she has been connected to the Wood River boys’ program for two years.

A native of Simsbury, Ct., Swain was an All-American forward in her senior year for Simsbury High School.

She started for her high school team for four consecutive years. Her team won the state championship when she was a freshman, and finished second in her senior season.

A starter for four years at the University of New Hampshire, she was the team captain and an All-Conference selection her senior year. Meanwhile, she continued to play club soccer from the U-14 to U-20 levels for World Class Soccer based in Windsor, Ct. Her World Class club team won a national championship at U-20.

Graduating from UNH in 2002 with a degree in sports management, Swain immediately moved to Ketchum and made one of the most important phone calls of her young life.

She called Wood River High School and left a message. Swain said, "I called and said, if you need a soccer coach, call me. I got a call back from Mr. Martinez saying we have a boys’ junior varsity coaching position open.

"Okay, I said to myself. I had been thinking about coaching the girls. And at first, I thought there was no way I could coach the boys—they wouldn’t respect me. But Daluiso talked me into doing it. Three weeks into my first JV season, I realized I could do this. And they did respect me."

No decision has yet been reached on a boys’ junior varsity coach to replace Swain.

"Farrell and I will get together shortly after Christmas to choose her assistant for next year," said Martinez.

 

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