Friday, February 6, 2009

Successful soccer coach Gvozdas steps down

Make room for Daddy


By JODY ZARKOS
Express Staff Writer

Wood River High School varsity girls' soccer coach Greg Gvozdas met with members of his team on Monday, Feb. 2, to let the players know he would not be on the sidelines next fall when the 2009 season begins.

"Judging by their reaction, most of them heard it from me. I was glad about that," Gvozdas said. "The overall reaction seemed to be surprise and sadness."

Head coach for five years at the Hailey high school, Gvozdas guided the team to an overall mark of 79-16-6 and set the record for most wins in a single season with an 18-2-1 mark in 2008. This year's team also set a record for most goals in a season with 131, surpassing the previous tally of 107 in 2000.

Under Gvozdas, the team claimed the Great Basin Conference West title for five consecutive years and played its way to fourth place in the State 4A Tournament three times, including back-to-back consolation titles in 2007 and 2008.

"It's going to be a great loss, but I understand why he is doing it," Wood River Athletic Director John Rade said. "He's at that stage in life where his family is young and he wants to spend more time with them.

"Greg built a great program here and that takes a lot of time and work. I think a lot of times people take that for granted, but he is going to be really missed. He did a heckuva job."

A sixth-grade teacher at Wood River Middle School and a Ketchum resident, Gvozdas and wife Laura are awaiting an addition to their family, which includes 2-and-a-half-year-old daughter Clara. The baby is due in March.

"With two under the age of 3 and the level of commitment it will take, (coaching) just doesn't fit right now," Gvozdas said. "A lot of thought went into it and I weighed the pros and cons. Now that I have talked to the girls I am at peace with the decision."




 Local Weather 
Search archives:


Copyright © 2024 Express Publishing Inc.   Terms of Use   Privacy Policy
All Rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Express Publishing Inc. is prohibited. 

The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.