Championships can be defining moments in the career of a coach, but for Marc Kenney — who led Newtown High School’s girls’ squad for 16 years — it may have been just after the program’s 2012 Class LL state title game victory, rather than the championship itself, that things were really established.

At a time when Newtown players had every reason to feel great about being the last team standing, Kenney recalls freshman Brenna Kelly talking about how sad it was to think about not seeing everybody each day.

“That’s when I realized it was a culture,” Kenney said. “That’s always been my goal — create a culture where everything matters.”

Wins and losses are short-lived and you move on to the next game, Kenney noted. “A culture is long-lasting,” he added.

Kenney took pride in his players taking pride — everything from lining up their bags at the field to how they conducted themselves in games. He has enjoyed the ride, which includes two South-West Conference championships, leading 24 All State players, five All New England players, an All American, the Western Connecticut Soccer Officials Association Sportsmanship Award, National Soccer Coaches Association of American National Team Academic Award, two Connecticut Girls Soccer Coaches Association Coach of the Year Awards, and one Connecticut High School Coaches Association Coach of the Year Award.

Kenney, 49, said he has considered stepping down during the past couple of years.

“I think that a fresh start in a new place is a good test for me,” said Kenney, who told The Bee on April 22 that he was interested in coaching elsewhere and will remain at Newtown High as an English and Journalism teacher, as well as advisor of the school paper “The Hawkeye.”

This coach will be back on soccer sidelines without missing a fall campaign. Kenney, on April 26, accepted the girls' coaching position at Holy Cross in Waterbury, he said.

Kenney said he enjoys coaching, especially the day-to-day stuff. “Loved practice and just hanging around with the kids,” Kenney said.

And he will miss being on the field at Blue & Gold Stadium. “It’s just special. We have the best facilities maybe in Connecticut,” he added.

“It’s becoming increasingly harder to coach and teach in the same school,” said Kenney, adding that having a coach who does not see the players in the classroom, he believes, has its benefits. “It puts kids at ease — they realize they’re not always being evaluated. It’s definitely easier for me,” Kenney said.

“It doesn’t matter that I’m leaving because these kids are my friends,” said Kenney, adding that he has attended weddings and funerals, and shared laughs with his former players throughout the years.

Madeline (Keane) Baumgart played for Kenney, went on to play soccer in college and overseas, and attributes much of her success to his coaching.

“Marc brought the best out in us by keeping us in line, but still making it fun — even with all of the running," Baumgart, adding that one of her favorite memories was reaching the SWC finals in 2011. "I’ll never forget the lessons I learned playing for him. He was a huge reason I was able to play at Wesleyan University and then abroad after college for UMF Tindastol, UMF Grindavik (both in Iceland), and Catania Calcio Femminile (Italy),” she said. “I owe so much of my growth as a player and person to him. I know he will be missed at NHS, but I’m positive he will make a great impact and difference with his next team.”

Kenney said hearing from not only former players but also coaches he coached against, is especially meaningful to him.

“I didn’t expect that. It’s really special to me,” he said.

Kenney had the opportunity to coach along with former players who returned to the sidelines to assist him. As Kenney noted, while there may have been a high level of competition between teams, the objective of the opposing coaches was to ensure things went well for both sides.

“We’re there to provide a good experience for these kids,” he said.

Kenney noted that the tactical aspect of coaching changed year to year based on player skill sets. There is something that Kenney tried to instill in his players, regardless of who they were and their abilities.

“For me, it’s all about everything matters,” Kenney said. “If you pay attention to small details I feel like the winning will take care of itself.”

Kenney thanked the many people who made his coaching chapter with NHS possible, including Principal Dr Kimberly Longobucco EdD, former Athletic Director Gregg Simon, and Brian Neumeyer, former NHS boys’ soccer coach, who organized fundraising efforts to support his son who was premature. Kenney and his wife Kateri live in Southbury and have two children, Jordan, 14, and Ryan, 11, and he said their support of his coaching career has been terrific through all of these years. Kenney also spent four years as a baseball assistant and four as a basketball assistant at Newtown High.

"It was really a special thing. He'll be missed a lot here," said Newtown High Athletic Director, adding that Kenney had success for a long time not only in soccer but with the baseball and basketball teams.

Previous to coaching at NHS, Kenney was an assistant coach at Southern Connecticut State University. A former goalkeeper who played at Central Connecticut State University, Kenney was primarily in charge of the keepers and handled much of SCSU’s recruiting efforts, including bringing in player Mary Kate Fahy from Trumbull High; Fahy later coached with Kenney at NHS. During his SCSU tenure (2000-’06) the team reached a conference title game and captured the program’s first NCAA Division II Tournament berth. Kenney was a head coach at Post University in Waterbury from 1996-’99 and was named the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Coach of the Year in 1996.

Laura McLean, who has been a part of the NHS soccer program since 1999 and was in the interview room when Kenney met with Simon about the job, coached alongside Kenney as an assistant for 12 of his 16 years (due to a hiatus to earn her master’s degree), and is leaving the program along with Kenney.

“She is as much a part of what we’ve been able to accomplish as the players and myself,” Kenney said of McLean’s importance to NHS soccer.

“Marc and I balanced each other out. Having two different perspectives is an amazing way to have the best of both worlds for the athletes that have come through. His dedication and loyalty to this program has been unmatched. With high expectations of all of his athletes I believe that they learned to work hard and care about the little things which they will carry with them for the rest of their life,” McLean said.

Sports Editor Andy Hutchison can be reached at andyh@thebee.com.