Justin Pino Recognized as Coach of the Year

At the beginning of the season, I knew we had a solid chance if we could stay healthy and have everyone back. When it became really real was when we went down 2-0 vs. Spain Park and came back to tie right before the playoffs started. And when we beat Altamont 9-0, I felt like we had finally played to our full potential and were starting to hit on all cylinders.

There was an absolute monsoon of rain during the semifinal game. We had a two-hour delay when we were soaking wet and freezing. We had to go in the locker room and then go back out and play, and then back in the locker room for another delay. This happened several different times, and everyone was really cold and wet.

It would have been easy to lose focus or get frustrated, but the team handled it perfectly. Everyone stayed calm and I really liked the energy and feel that we had in the locker room—the girls were laughing and smiling and having a dance party. We got back out there and had a truly dominant performance that took us to the final.

What made this group of players special?
Resilience! We got to the semifinals last year and lost. Girls from that team really accepted the challenge and didn’t cower away from high expectations. They handled the pressure and performed at their best when things got harder.

The great thing about our team culture this year is that our best players helped bring our other players along. They raised the bar and made their teammates better. We have some truly special players, and our team also played at a high level collectively.

What do you hope the players take away from winning a championship?
I wanted them to enjoy the moment, but I also want them to remember the discipline, sacrifice, and purpose that got them there. There’s no doubt we had talent, but I want them to know that to rely solely on talent wasn’t enough. They sacrificed and learned, and I’m so proud of them.

What makes soccer at Indian Springs so special?
These kids are so bright and curious and work so hard in the classroom, and I think there’s correlation and carryover to that.

Some of these players are really stewards of the game and like the tactical sides of things and player movement. This really grabs their attention, and so does watching film. We studied our opponents and they brought their curiosity and made notes during these sessions, too. They ask questions. There’s definitely an “Indian Springs-like” intellectual curiosity to their learning about soccer.

[Assistant] Coach Jean Bassene and I talk a lot during and after practice. He’s been such a blessing. We get along so well, and even if he has a different perspective, he’s always so respectful and helpful. He just gets things done and has been instrumental to our success. Sometimes he speaks French with our players, and that’s such a cool, uniquely-Springs thing.

Boys coach Rik Tozzi is also a mentor to me. I played for and won a state championship for Joe Carter (Rik’s assistant coach) when I was 13. I talk to these guys regularly, and they’re my teachers, for sure. Teaching and coaching are so similar, and I never want to stop learning or stop learning how to be a better teacher. I want to evolve every year, and Indian Springs really encourages that.

Here’s a neat story: My wife, Megan Eskridge Pino [’08], won a state championship here in 2005, so when we won in 2022, the last time we had won prior to that was when my wife was a player here. In 2008, Megan lost to Guntersville in the final, and this year we beat Guntersville in the final.