FAIRHOPE, Ala. - Bayshore Christian School in Fairhope will begin it’s first official high school soccer season this year in the Panhandle Christian Conference.

The Eagles coed soccer team will be coached by Lauren Marsh Brown, Brown is a former soccer forward for the University of South Alabama Jaguars and a recent graduate of their sports management program. She also was an all-state, four-year starter and scoring standout for the Fairhope Lady Pirates where she recorded 157 career varsity goals. She did her coaching internship with the University of Mobile soccer team and coached the St. Paul’s Episcopal High School junior varsity last year.

“I’m looking forward to working with the kids and seeing how well we can do,” Brown said. “I love soccer, I still miss (playing) it and I jump in with them at practice sometimes. Most are just starting out as far as skill level goes. But overall I’m encouraged with the pace of progress so far.

“We do have Sarah Breslin who has been playing a long time— for her age. And she is, I would say advanced. She’s really a goal keeper but wants to play on the field more so we may have to see what else we can do. And also we have a couple other players who are really good, but then we have quite a few who have never even played before. They are athletic, but still learning the sport and the rules. So we have some work to do on some technique and just fundamentals of ball handling and passing and moving without the ball.

“Every practice and every week, I’ve seen them meeting most of the goals I’ve set. But I’ll keep setting new and more goals and challenging them. I think with experience we can be pretty good, but they are all fairly young in age (seventh to 10th grade with one sixth grader) and a few are completely new to sports in general, so I can’t ask too much, too fast.”

Brown, who is used to a high level of play and success in terma of winning said she also feels good about the stages of progress her players are achieving.

“The main thing I have been impressed with is seeing some of them realize they can do more than they thought they could after just working and focusing on a skill. That’s rewarding to see happen right in front of you and I like seeing them realize that’s it fun to play and worth the effort. But there’s more to it than just playing and I like doing drills to help with skills, but most people don’t. So my husband (T. J. Brown) and I have been trying to come up with ways to keep them interested but still learning and developing at the same time.”

The Eagles will compete with 14 other Christian Schools from the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi now making up the PCC. Bayshore’s next soccer match is Aug. 30 at Alethia and will host Central Christian Sept. 5.

“We’re excited about the kids getting to play for someone with the level of knowledge and expertise in the sport as Lauren.” said Bayshore athletic director Jeff Hauge who was a baseball and golf coach at Fairhope when Brown was a student athlete there. “We also feel fortunate to have someone with such outstanding character. She brings all that to our school here. She was a great player and is a great role model. I know she’ll be a great coach, too.”