Tualatin High’s boys’ varsity soccer team has a new head coach this season: Coach Lisa Harings.
“Anytime you have a new coaching staff, you’re changing the program, you’re changing the expectations, you’re changing the style of play,” Harings said, “and those are things you can’t really change overnight.”
Coach Harings has been coaching girls’ soccer for 30 years but didn’t coach boys’ soccer until 2018; she has been the assistant coach of the boys’ varsity soccer team at Forest Grove High School. They reached the state semi-finals for two consecutive years in 2018 and 2019.
She then took on the offer to run Adrienne Nelson High School’s soccer program as head coach in 2021 and 2022, during which time she became the first female in the state of Oregon to coach in the 6A boys’ varsity soccer division.
In her time at Portland Community College (PCC) as the women’s coach in 2022, they won their first conference title in the Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC).
“There is a national tournament, but we did win our conference for the North side,” Harings added.
After coaching for the women’s team, she wanted to coach for the men’s team and the head coach position was open. Harings initially applied but did not attain the position.
Thus, she returned to coaching high school boys’ soccer.
“I wanted a coaching position that offered me the opportunity to coach and support my daughter’s career,” Harings said.
Harings deemed Tualatin as a good fit to continue her coaching career because of the support she can offer to her daughter’s own soccer career at Forest Grove High School. Tualatin is also Harings’s hometown.
“It was a great opportunity. I appreciate the support AD Ted Rose and Assistant AD Ellie Combs have given me,” Harings said.
The Tualatin boys’ varsity soccer team overall record is 4-6-1, and they have a record of 0-1-1 in the 6A Three Rivers League. Harings shared her thoughts on the team in future years to come.
“We have a good returning group of players, so, basically, we have a good opportunity for next year,” Harings stated.
