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Highlands Today

A Third Tour Of Duty

Chris Hoffman/Highlands Today

Tim Boulay has returned to the sidelines as head coach of the Sebring boys soccer team this season, after former coach Paul Brown resigned due to medical reasons.

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By CHRIS HOFFMAN

Highlands Today

Published: November 12, 2008

SEBRING - From the desolate sand dunes of the Iraqi desert to the green grass of Firemen's Field, the journey Sebring boys soccer coach Tim Boulay made five years ago helped make history for the Blue Streaks.

After returning home from Iraq with an injury, Boulay took the helm of the Sebring boys soccer team only to bring home the Blue Streaks' first regional tournament berth in school history.

"That was a great team that we had," Boulay said. "But I'm really looking forward to seeing what this year's team has to offer."

Boulay returns to the sideline after former head coach Paul Brown stepped down for medical reasons.

A quick phone call from Sebring athletic director Terry Quarles was all it took to bring back the Army Reserves soldier.

"I was notified that there was a possibility that Coach Brown might be stepping down, and I talked with him about it," Boulay said. "So it wasn't a total surprise when it happened, but I had to think about it for a bit because it's a huge commitment and I wanted to make sure I could give this team what they needed in a coach."

Boulay was head coach from 2001 to '02 and then from 2004 to '05. His Army Reserve unit was put on active duty in 2003, which forced him to resign as head soccer coach. He was sent to Iraq and Afghanistan to help train troops, but he tore his ACL during a training exercise and was sent home.

"The injury was really a blessing for me because I was able to see the birth of my second child Riley," Boulay said. "It's really weird because I never even sprained an ankle after years of playing soccer and other sports, but I go over to the Middle East and I suffer a major injury."

His journey down to Highlands County from Rhode Island is just as interesting. A political science major in college, Boulay worked on campaigns in Washington D.C. and then worked for the New York Times in Tallahassee, which led him to working for The News Sun, which at the time was owned by the Times, from 1997 to 2000.

After taking the '04-'05 Blue Streak team to the regional tournament, Boulay walked away from coaching at the high school level.

"There were a lot of variables," Boulay said. "My frame of mind wasn't settled and I didn't feel it was fair to the team."

But with some much-needed time off and the resignation of Brown, Boulay believes he's better suited for the job the third time around.

"I'm really excited about getting back on the sidelines with the team," Boulay said. "My coaching style is a bit different from Coach Brown's. I'm very big on fitness so they're going to do more running than they may have in the past.

"It's just great to be back."

The running isn't the only change the Blue Streak squad will see under Boulay, as he is giving the players a whole new bag of tricks to use in game situations that he hopes will lead them to a second straight district title.

"I don't run a lot of specific drills like Coach Brown did, but I let the kids improvise a lot," he said. "I give them a bunch of plays and let them use them at will during the course of the game.

"I'm really excited for our first game to see where we are as a team."

The Blue Streaks kicked off the season on Tuesday when they hosted Hardee. See Thursday's Highlands Today for complete coverage.

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