Whenever a new coach takes over a program, it is somewhat expected that they will encounter some sort of learning curve.
New San Bernardino Valley College women’s soccer coach Jenna Lefay hopes that her experience and familiarity at the school will lead her and the Wolverines on a path to flatten that curve and go straight to the top of the Inland Empire Athletic Conference and the upper reaches of the state playoffs.
“I think taking over a program I have been part of and helped build gives me a leg up in starting as the head coach,” Lefay said. “Knowing the school, support staff, and already having established relationships has made the transition really smooth. All my returning players know me and my coaching style. Having that sense of familiarity for them has made this transition even better.”
Lefay was elevated into the role of head coach after spending the past 11 years as an assistant for Kristin Hauge, who stepped down this summer after leading the SBVC women’s soccer team for 18 seasons. While Lefay had hoped to one day succeed Hauge, she wasn’t expecting that her opportunity would come as soon as it did.
“Being here at Valley for as long as I have, eventually taking over the program was always the idea,” she said. “In all honesty, I was not expecting to take over the program this season. The past few years I have taken on more administrative duties and responsibilities under Coach Hauge to gain more knowledge and experience in that aspect of coaching. Knowing the opportunity to step into the head coach position would eventually come, it wasn’t something I imagined happening as sudden as it did.”
A graduate of Ayala High School in Chino Hills, Lefay went on to play for four years at California State University, San Bernardino. A defender for the Coyotes, she was an All-CCAA selection in her junior and senior seasons, graduating with her degree in kinesiology in 2011.
She joined the staff at SBVC out of college, helping shape the team’s defense. During her time with the team, the Wolverines have won seven conference championships, earned a trip to the state final four, and set several school records – including most victories (20 in 2017), most shutouts (19 each in 2016 and 2017), and fewest goals allowed (7 in 2016).
Since joining the SBVC staff, Lefay has gone from a fresh out of college coach to a coach who is also a wife and mother to three daughters. She says that those life changes are all part of the maturity process as it relates to her new job as head coach.
“I absolutely have “grown up” here at Valley,” she said. “I still continue to grow and learn every year, and apply lessons learned from previous seasons to my coaching repertoire. I started here at Valley as an eager young college graduate, that was coaching youth, club, high school soccer. I wanted to expand my coaching portfolio and coach at the collegiate level. Now that I’m an older, I have matured and became a well-rounded coach.
“I think every coach is always growing and learning throughout their coaching career. Learning to adapt to the new styles of play, formations, and different athletes is part of the fun challenges you face in coaching. From an age perspective, I have grownup at SBVC. On a coaching level, I’m still growing and will continue to better myself as a coach so I can be the best I can for this program for years to come.”
Much of that growth came from working alongside Hauge for the past 11 seasons. Hauge stepped down after coaching the SBVC women’s soccer team for the past 19 seasons, compiling a record of 261 wins, 84 losses, and 54 draws. The Wolverines won the state championship in 2010, earned 10 conference championships and 16 berths in the postseason during her term. It has been an experience that she says has helped shape her as a coach.
“Kristin Hauge has been one of the biggest mentors and role models for me in my coaching and teaching career,” she said. “I learned so much from her these past 11 years and can confidently say I wouldn’t be where I am today without her support and guidance. I was in my early 20s when she hired me as her defensive assistant coach. She taught me so much. Words cannot express how grateful I am and no thank you is big enough to ever show her the massive impact she had on me, my family, and this entire Valley program.”
It’s that type of support that has Lefay looking to build upon the success that Hauge brought to the program, rather than create something new.
“This Valley Legacy is hers. She started it and I will do my absolute best to continue it,” Lefay said. “She built such a family atmosphere that I will do my best to maintain and continue. Person over player, F.A.M.I.L.Y (Forget about me, I love you), and GO GREEN are a few sayings that Coach Hauge embedded in this women’s soccer program. They will be upheld and instilled in these girls and alumni for years to come. This season I came up with the motto: SAME LEGACY, NEW TRADITION. I want to continue Kristin’s legacy and what she has built here.”
To do that, Lefay has enlisted the help of SBVC grad Stephanie Doran as an assistant coach. Doran was a part of the team in 2017 and 2018, two teams won conference championships and made deep runs into the postseason.
As far as the team, she has 10 players returning from previous seasons, including goalkeeper Haley Weghorst, who became only the third goalkeeper in school history to record more than 100 saves in a season in 2022.
This year’s squad will get an immediate test, as it opens the season Friday night by visiting perennial power Santiago Canyon College. It’s all part of the challenge that Lefay is prepared as she steps into her new role as head coach.
“I don’t feel pressured to build upon Coach Hauge’s legacy, but rather honored and privileged,” she said. “Plus, I want to do this. I have been part of the legacy of this program for 11 years. In those 11 years, I have helped lead seven teams to conference championships, coached multiple state and nationally ranked teams, coached the 2018 state runner up team with one of those athletes as one of my assistants coming into this 2023 season. Being part of all these prestige teams, I know the hard work that was put in by every member of those teams because I was a part of building it. Now I get to be the one to lead and inspire the new generations of girls to get back to where this program was before.”