The new head coach of the women’s soccer team this year is Whitney Valdez. Valdez has quite the background in soccer, playing for a variety of clubs and teams as a child, including the National Soccer Academy, and later stepping up to the collegiate level to play for Arizona State University.

Though she stepped away from the sport after having her daughter, her daughter is what brought her back to the sport.

“She was my biggest cheerleader when it came to applying for the job. Soccer was something that once defined so much of who I was as a person and it was so invigorating to once again be immersed in the world! Coaching the middle school girls sparked that passion for the sport all over again and I was even more excited to learn the high school was looking for a head coach.”  

Valdez is looking to make an immediate impact on the program in her first year at the helm. She is looking to restore the greatness that Tilghman Women’s Soccer represents.

“I am looking to remind people that the Lady Tornado soccer program is a force to be reckoned with,” Valdez said.

Her goals reach beyond more than just soccer, however. “I hope that I can help them see and confidently believe in their greatness both on and off the field. I hope they will be absolute in their belief that they are all strong, resilient, and capable beyond belief,” she said. 

Valdez plans to rebuild the relationships players have with each other and the coaching staff, after a rough few years. “It’s my hope that I can bring them together again by simply reminding them why they all wanted to play in the first place. Remind them of the fun and purity of the game,” she said. She hopes to model the Tilghman value of family as she helps them grow together into a unified front again.