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Under head coach Stan Williams, the Champlain Valley Union High School girls soccer team went into every season with this core belief: "You don’t get dropped on top of the mountain."
The climb to the top was about memories, about friendships, about the experience as a player for "Soccer Central." The climb was itself the reward, and not just the seized championships — and there were many — that racked up along the way.
"We’ve made it our guide as coaches and as a program to emphasize the climb," Williams said. "Those experiences, those memories — some of them happened on the soccer field. But most of them happened off the soccer field. It was my job to do that."
This week, Williams decided another figurative ascent to higher elevations for CVU should be guided by a new leader. The 54-year-old Williams announced to his team that he has stepped down following an unmatched 12-year stretch at his alma mater.
Over 12 seasons in the charge of the Hinesburg program, Williams compiled a 182-9-6 record with seven undefeated squads, five of them perfect, and eight Division I state crowns in 10 title-game appearances.
This past fall, CVU went 16-0-1 and captured the program's state-leading 21st title. But five months since that 2-0 championship-game win over South Burlington, Williams said he's ready to depart the CVU program.
"It's not about a 4-6 practice on a Tuesday in September," Williams said. "It's the time and energy in crafting the whole experience. It's a full-year job and I don't know if I could commit my entire self to that."
Williams emailed his team and their families with a heartfelt and detailed, 700-plus word email on Tuesday evening, explaining his decision and what CVU soccer has meant to him. On Wednesday, Williams met with players as a group.
"It's been incredibly difficult. We have 16 returnees who are amazing kids and as I told them (Wednesday), it's because of them that I feel really good about stepping away," said Williams, an instructional coach for the Champlain Valley School District with an office at CVU. "Whoever takes over, they will have a tremendous group of kids and families."
Of the nine losses in his tenure, Williams' CVU teams only suffered setbacks in regular-season play. Williams takes the most pride in that year-in, year-out consistency.
"Soccer is a game of super-fine margins and over the years we’ve had a lot of close games," Williams said. "That’s where that community piece, that brought CVU soccer together, was the difference."
A 1989 CVU graduate, Williams has been coaching in some capacity and with multiple sports at his alma mater since 1994. Williams had previous stints with the CVU girls soccer team as an assistant coach and was co-head coach with Brad Parker in 2002.
More: 50 players named to the 35th Annual Free Press All-State Girls Soccer Team
In 2013, Williams was hired to replace the retiring Parker following Parker's 25-year run. In his first fall at the helm, Williams' Redhawks outscored opponents 72-1 to go 18-0 and claim a D-I three-peat. The consecutive championship streak stretched to a record five years in a row. Another three-peat followed from 2017-19 — a perfect run that nearly went to a fourth straight title before they were handed their first loss in 62 games in the 2020 final.
In the semifinals of that first championship run in 2013, a Burlington Free Press reporter interviewed Williams' then 6-year-old daughter, Lily, about the dominant 6-0 victory over U-32. Exactly 11 years later, senior Lily Williams scored the game-winner 13 seconds into the second half in the semifinal triumph over Mount Mansfield.
One victory later, father and daughter shared an emotional post-game hug after what proved the final game and championship for Stan Williams.
"Soccer has been a huge part of our family," Williams said. "I couldn't have asked for a better season, a better team to finish on. It’s definitely a special way to go out.
"But it’s not like I’m going anywhere, I’m just going to switch sides of the field. I'll be cheering them on from Day 1."
Contact Alex Abrami at [email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter: @aabrami5.
Career record: 182-9-6
Division I titles: 8
Division I runner-ups: 2
2024: 16-0-1 (D-I champion)
2023: 14-1
2022: 15-0-1 (D-I champion)
2021: 13-2-2
2020: 10-1
2019: 17-0 (D-I champion)
2018: 17-0 (D-I champion)
2017: 17-0 (D-I champion)
2016: 12-3-2
2015: 15-2 (D-I champion)
2014: 18-0 (D-I champion)
2013: 18-0 (D-I champion)
This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Stan Williams: CVU girls soccer coach retires after 12 seasons
Continue reading...
The climb to the top was about memories, about friendships, about the experience as a player for "Soccer Central." The climb was itself the reward, and not just the seized championships — and there were many — that racked up along the way.
"We’ve made it our guide as coaches and as a program to emphasize the climb," Williams said. "Those experiences, those memories — some of them happened on the soccer field. But most of them happened off the soccer field. It was my job to do that."
This week, Williams decided another figurative ascent to higher elevations for CVU should be guided by a new leader. The 54-year-old Williams announced to his team that he has stepped down following an unmatched 12-year stretch at his alma mater.
Over 12 seasons in the charge of the Hinesburg program, Williams compiled a 182-9-6 record with seven undefeated squads, five of them perfect, and eight Division I state crowns in 10 title-game appearances.
This past fall, CVU went 16-0-1 and captured the program's state-leading 21st title. But five months since that 2-0 championship-game win over South Burlington, Williams said he's ready to depart the CVU program.
"It's not about a 4-6 practice on a Tuesday in September," Williams said. "It's the time and energy in crafting the whole experience. It's a full-year job and I don't know if I could commit my entire self to that."
Williams emailed his team and their families with a heartfelt and detailed, 700-plus word email on Tuesday evening, explaining his decision and what CVU soccer has meant to him. On Wednesday, Williams met with players as a group.
"It's been incredibly difficult. We have 16 returnees who are amazing kids and as I told them (Wednesday), it's because of them that I feel really good about stepping away," said Williams, an instructional coach for the Champlain Valley School District with an office at CVU. "Whoever takes over, they will have a tremendous group of kids and families."
Of the nine losses in his tenure, Williams' CVU teams only suffered setbacks in regular-season play. Williams takes the most pride in that year-in, year-out consistency.
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"Soccer is a game of super-fine margins and over the years we’ve had a lot of close games," Williams said. "That’s where that community piece, that brought CVU soccer together, was the difference."
A 1989 CVU graduate, Williams has been coaching in some capacity and with multiple sports at his alma mater since 1994. Williams had previous stints with the CVU girls soccer team as an assistant coach and was co-head coach with Brad Parker in 2002.
More: 50 players named to the 35th Annual Free Press All-State Girls Soccer Team
In 2013, Williams was hired to replace the retiring Parker following Parker's 25-year run. In his first fall at the helm, Williams' Redhawks outscored opponents 72-1 to go 18-0 and claim a D-I three-peat. The consecutive championship streak stretched to a record five years in a row. Another three-peat followed from 2017-19 — a perfect run that nearly went to a fourth straight title before they were handed their first loss in 62 games in the 2020 final.
In the semifinals of that first championship run in 2013, a Burlington Free Press reporter interviewed Williams' then 6-year-old daughter, Lily, about the dominant 6-0 victory over U-32. Exactly 11 years later, senior Lily Williams scored the game-winner 13 seconds into the second half in the semifinal triumph over Mount Mansfield.
One victory later, father and daughter shared an emotional post-game hug after what proved the final game and championship for Stan Williams.
"Soccer has been a huge part of our family," Williams said. "I couldn't have asked for a better season, a better team to finish on. It’s definitely a special way to go out.
"But it’s not like I’m going anywhere, I’m just going to switch sides of the field. I'll be cheering them on from Day 1."
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Contact Alex Abrami at [email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter: @aabrami5.
Stan Williams' season-by-season record at CVU
Career record: 182-9-6
Division I titles: 8
Division I runner-ups: 2
2024: 16-0-1 (D-I champion)
2023: 14-1
2022: 15-0-1 (D-I champion)
2021: 13-2-2
2020: 10-1
2019: 17-0 (D-I champion)
2018: 17-0 (D-I champion)
2017: 17-0 (D-I champion)
2016: 12-3-2
2015: 15-2 (D-I champion)
2014: 18-0 (D-I champion)
2013: 18-0 (D-I champion)
This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Stan Williams: CVU girls soccer coach retires after 12 seasons
Continue reading...
