By Caroline Willian ’13, Staff Writer

Fall is a time of new beginnings at Newark Academy – a new school year, new classes, new faces. The majority of NA’s newest members can be seen throughout the halls of the building. But some are involved in extracurricular happenings, namely new coaches for fall sports, who go unnoticed by the average member of the community. So, as The Minuteman always does, we have pleasure to introduce NA’s newest coaches: Mr. James Morris of the boys’ soccer team, Ms. Jessica Jimenez of the girls’ volleyball team, and Ms. Candice Powell of the cross-country team.

To begin, Mr. James Morris is the new head coach for the boys’ soccer team. He comes to NA after three years as head coach of the Morristown-Beard girls’ team and still coaches Jersey United, an elite club team. His approach to coaching involves, first and foremost, fostering a supportive atmosphere. He wants to make sure the boys are “able to express themselves.” But of course, he hopes the team is “competitive” this year and has a successful season. So far, Coach Morris has been impressed with the level of play he has seen. He says the players in general have great technical skills, and the ability to make “direct passes” (passes that span a greater distance) when necessary. But he feels the players aren’t physically aggressive enough. He feels the boys are “too polite” to the other team, and wants to work on reciprocating physical contact when the game gets rough.

Second, new head coach Ms. Jessica Jimenez, who also coaches a club team called Team Champion Volleyball, has been making serious progress with the NA squad. Her players call her “tough” and say she “works them hard”, but they also respect her knowledge of the game and experience as a coach. They are grateful to have the opportunity to work with a coach of her caliber.

Lastly, Ms. Candice Powell, also a new member of the English Department, is the new assistant coach for both boys’ and girls’ cross-country. When she was younger, Ms. Powell says she hated running, but she’s more than made up for her late start to the sport. She’s ran several marathons, including the Boston Marathon, for which only the most elite marathoners qualify. She also frequently participates in shorter, local races.

As a whole, Newark Academy’s fall sports teams have gotten off to a great start, winning nearly three-quarters of the athletic competitions in which they have participated. Much of this success can be attributed to great coaching by new and returning coaches alike. Their leadership and support will create better players and continuous victories for teams.