I wished Zack Vieau a happy back-to-school as he prepared for another year teaching 5th grade at North Shore School, located just north of Duluth. He is in his third year at the school but previously taught in Two Harbors and Silver Bay, where he still holds strong ties with the high school sports world.
The former hockey coach made quite a change this year in his coaching role. After seven years of coaching high school girls hockey, he has stepped down and taken on leading the Two Harbors soccer team. As for the decision to switch, he explained that hockey was getting to be too long of a season and too much traveling. Soccer offers a less demanding schedule for a dad with young kids.
Zack took on this new coaching role as a natural transition, particularly because many of his former hockey players also play soccer. “The main reason was most of my Two Harbors hockey girls played soccer,” Zack explained. “I knew there was a need for the coaching position, and it was a good way to continue working with them.”
He added, “I just love the group of girls. They’re young and really kind, nice kids. Really coachable. Loved coaching them in hockey. It was just kind of a natural transfer over to keep being able to work with those kids and find something that would work for my family and myself.”
The season has already kicked off. The team is 1-3- 1. The scores were close and the recent tie against Duluth Denfeld was a standout performance considering the size of the AA school versus the local team in single A.
Reflecting on the season’s challenges, Zack shared, “It’s been 79-80 degrees for all of our games, so that’s taking kind of a toll on it, but other than that, it’s going good.”
One thing that stands out to Zack is the team’s eagerness to learn and improve. “I would say the biggest thing that has been nice is their coachability. There’s a lot of things they’ve struggled with in the past two years, and I think just having a new voice coming in and finding different ways to get them to work on stuff. They’re very motivated, and they’re very absorbing of information. They don’t get mad when you try to call things out.”
The commitment to the sport was evident over the last few months. Zack held frequent optional one-hour practices throughout the summer. He reports that he was getting fifteen players a day.
“They’re super willing to work, and it’s just keeping a positive attitude. Whether winning or losing, they are having so much fun,” their coach said.
The team may be small, but Zack remains optimistic. “We have a total of 26 girls,” he said. Two players are injured, and both teams have only one substitute each. “Small in numbers and young in age,” Zack noted, with two seniors and three juniors, and the JV team made up almost exclusively of 7th and 8th graders. Zack admitted he had concerns about working with a young and small team, but praised the group’s leadership in the seniors on the team.
“They’re wonderful. That was my biggest worry. It’s always hit or miss when you start to run into seniors—they get busy with other things,” Zack said. “You get some years where you have girls who are super motivating and positive. You get some years where they are a little quieter and run into some issues. I’ve had some really good captains in hockey. I’ve got some wonderful captains this year.”
When discussing his senior captains, Zack mentioned Savannah Lundgren and Lizzy Aug by name. “Savannah played hockey when she was younger and started focusing on school and soccer. She was one of my favorite kids to coach—hard worker, always positive, and receptive,” he said. “[The team] always struggled with numbers. If they can just stay positive and listen, things go really well, and she’s always been like that. It’s been such a joy to coach her again this year before she leaves high school. Both Savannah and Lizzy have been instrumental in making the transition smooth and flawless, helping the younger players adjust and keeping the team motivated. Their leadership and positive attitude have really set the tone for the season.”
In addition to her leadership, Lizzy also helps the younger players with equipment and communicates well with them. “The way that they communicate with the younger girls also,” Zack said, noting the unique team dynamic. “You don’t get too many teams where there are 7th graders on the same team as 12th graders. So, communication sometimes can be a big barrier. She is so good at communicating with those younger girls in ways that they are receptive to rather than just ways she’d like to be communicated to as a 12th grader.”
A team with motivation, dedication, positivity, coachability, strong leadership, and the ability to have fun whether winning or losing is a recipe for a success! Good luck to the Two Harbors Agate Soccer Team!
