Date: Fri 08-Sep-1995

Publication: Bee

Author: TOMW

Illustration: I

Quick Words:

Kim-Berglund-New-Coach

Full Text:

Kim Berglund Feature (NHS Soccer Coach)

NOTE: Due to a layout error, the following story did not appear in its

entirety in the September 8 issue of The Newtown Bee.

B Y T.W YATT

When the South-West Conference begins its girls' soccer era on Thursday,

September 14, the Newtown High School program will be beginning a new one as

well. Kim Berglund has become the first woman to head up the former WCC

powerhouse at NHS, being appointed to replace former skipper Pete Fedorov who

resigned last winter.

" I heard about the two openings here in Newtown at the same time, " Berglund

said. " They needed a coach and a PE teacher and [NHS principal] Bill

Manfredonia was hoping to get a coach who was teaching in the school as well.

" Berglund was a perfect match.

The 26-year-old coach played high school sports at Ellington High School where

she competed in soccer, basketball, softball, and track.

As a guard/forward, Berglund made the Class S All-State basketball team in her

junior year and was named All-State in soccer in each of her last three.

Too often the big-time high school players are so set on going to Division I

schools that they end up throwing away enjoyable college sports careers by

getting in over their heads and sitting out. Upon graduating Ellington,

Berglund sought out a college where she knew she could fit in and play right

away. " I had friends who went to play at UConn and ended up sitting the

bench, so I decided that maybe a smaller school would be better, " Berglund

said. " Cortland had a strong program and I think I made the right choice by

going there. I've already discussed making choices like that with our seniors

here. "

At Cortland, Berglund converted from center-halfback, where she played in high

school, to left wing. In her first game as a freshman, she scored two goals.

Berglund finished the season with eleven and was named to the Freshman

All-American team.

In her junior year, after blowing out her knee (ACL) at the end of the regular

season, Berglund was honored as a Division III First Team All-American.

Berglund then spent a semester in Germany where she injured her knee again and

underwent reconstructive surgery upon her return to the states.

Kim redshirted in her senior year and was allowed to make her comeback the

following season. But two pulled quadracep muscles relegated her to spot duty

only and her career was finished.

After graduating Cortland, Berglund started a women's soccer program at

Manchester Community College, but after two years it folded.

Today Berglund has a one-hour commute to NHS from her home in Vernon, but the

new head coach is used to moving around.

Teaching elementary physical education at Ashford and Union last year,

Berglund coached high school soccer with the jayvee team at Rockville,

basketball at Ellington, and softball in Coventry.

With the jayvee team in Rockville last fall, Berglund was 10-4-1. " After last

year I was determined to move up and find a varsity job, " she said.

Joining Berglund as a varsity assistant at Newtown this year is former All-WCC

NHS forward, Jennifer Reeher. Reeher played three years of soccer at

Middlebury College after graduating Newtown as the fourth-leading scorer in

school history.

But Reeher doesn't have to teach Berglund about the WCC teams and the Newtown/

Weston girls' soccer rivalry. Berglund has memories of Weston from her high

school playing days in Ellington.

" We used to play Weston every year in states, " she remembers. " And every

year they'd knock us off. "

Weston will be back in Berglund's sights again as she and the NHS girls'

soccer program embark upon a new era. . .the era of the SWC.