Head start: New East girls soccer coach Bohanon has familiarity with program

New Belleville East girls soccer coach Andy Bohanon won’t have to worry about bringing himself up to speed about the Lancers’ program.

The 26-year-old Bohanon, a 2008 graduate of East who played under former coach Mark Lasley, has been an assistant to Erika Todd-Baptist for the last two seasons and is familiar with his roster. Todd-Baptist recently resigned after three years.

“I guess it worked out the way it should have,” said Bohanon, who also has coached the freshman boys team for the last three years. “I feel very comfortable (at East). This is where my heart is.”

Bohanon is a teacher’s assistant in the special education department at East.

Goals for program

Three of Bohanon’s objectives are to make the game fun for his players, stir interest in the program and improve his team’s conditioning level to avoid injuries.

“These ACLs for these girls are just unbelievable,” Bohanon said of the knee injuries that typically rob players of at least a year on the field. “We’ve lost six or seven over the past two years. Our offseason workouts are going to be based on building up those leg muscles and doing as much as possible to stay healthy.

“Losing one or two (players) completely changes your entire season.”

Bohanon said girls are particularly susceptible to ACL tears.

“It’s a known fact that the girls’ legs just aren’t as strong as the guys’,” Bohanon said. “I’m starting my fourth season with the boys and we haven’t had one. It definitely shows we need to do more work in the gym to strengthen up those legs. Losing six or seven over the last two seasons, the proof’s in the pudding there. We’ve got to change that.”

Bohanon also is formulating some ideas to make game day more of an “experience.”

“I’ve noticed at the high-school level is game day isn’t very exciting,” he said. “You show up, you warm up, you play and go home. There’s not really much else going on outside of that. I have some ideas I would like to put into play just to make it more of an event.

“I think that’s going to draw more people in – moms and dads, aunts and uncles, grandparents, students. Everybody just goes to football and basketball (games). That’s just how it’s always been. Soccer’s kind of just mom and dad. There’s different ways to go about that, to get (more people) in, and that’s what I’m really excited about.”

Bohanon earned his bachelor’s degree in sport administration from Louisville, a tool he intends to utilize to get fans interested in attending East’s games.

Brauer coming back

The Lancers were 15-7 overall and 2-4 in the Southwestern Conference last season. They won six in a row before losing 2-1 to Alton in the semifinals of the Class 3A Collinsville Regional.

East graduated key seniors Julia Moran, Rylan Lopez, Lilly Brauer and Allyssa Bartle, but the Lancers return several talented players, including junior forward Grace Brauer. Brauer had 26 goals and five assists, landing a spot on the News-Democrat’s all-area first team.

“We have four big spots we need to fill, but surrounding that, I’m pretty comfortable with everything we have coming back,” Bohanon said.

Brauer, a Xavier recruit, twice scored four goals in a game and had two other games with three goals. She had at least one goal in 15 of the Lancers’ 22 games.

“You don’t see many people that age putting almost 30 goals in for one season,” Bohanon said. “She’s not only a special player as far as putting goals in, but also, she has leadership qualities. In practices and in games, everybody looks to her. I think she welcomes that.

“I can’t wait to see what she brings next year. She knows what she has to do and she knows how to get it done.”

This story was originally published July 25, 2016 at 3:08 PM with the headline "Head start: New East girls soccer coach Bohanon has familiarity with program."