By JOSE NEGRON
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After spending 13 years as a player in the Bentworth Area Youth Soccer Association, Caroline Rice is adjusting to a new role within the organization.
The former Bentworth standout is now serving as a head coach in the BAYSA, helping high school coach Tyler Hamstra guide the U12 and U13 teams. She also leads the U10 squad on her own.
Rice, 18, is the youngest coach to ever guide a team and win a game in the history of the BAYSA.
“It means the world to be able to get the opportunity to coach soccer,” said Rice, a 2020 Bentworth graduate and Early Education major at Cal U. “In a way it’s like giving back for all that the BAYSA and Bentworth have done for me.
“I think I knew the opportunity was coming, I just had to take it.”
After graduating from Bentworth, Rice had her sights set on accomplishing two things: teaching in a classroom and coaching on a soccer field.
She has helped on the sidelines for about four years, but this is the first season in which she has been able to fly solo as a head coach.
“I enjoy building connections with the kids. The more comfortable they are with you, the more fun games and practices are,” Rice said. “My main goal of coaching is to develop these girls so they’re prepared once they get to the high school level. I want them to get the same opportunities and experiences as my teammates and I did if not more.”
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