Bill Read will be entering his 8th season as Head Coach of the Polk State College Women’s Soccer Program. Coach Read was a local competitive club and high school coach in Polk County for 6 years. Those 6 years were spent at Lakeland Sr. High and George Jenkins High prior to his recruitment to start the Polk State College soccer program.
Read has guided the Polk State College women’s soccer team to an overall record 84-20-10, with 5 Region 8 Titles, 2 District F Title, and 2 trip to the NJCAA National Tournament. Bill Read was named Coach of the Year for District F in 2004, 2007 and 2009. Coach Read was named the 2009 Coach of the year for the South Region, which consists of 17 states. The Polk State College women’s soccer team has ended the last 5 seasons ranked in the top 15 nationally. The last 2 years Polk State College has been ranked #1 in the nation at one point in time during each of the regular seasons. The last 3 years the soccer team has only been beaten by the #1 or #2 NJCAA team in the nation.
The last 4 years the Polk State College women’s soccer team has scored 318 goals and allowed only 29 against, with 56 shut outs against all opponents. At one point, the team had an eight-game win streak without allowing a single goal against them.
|
Polk State College Women’s Soccer record |
|
Year |
Wins |
Losses |
Ties |
|
2003 |
1- |
4- |
5 |
|
2004 |
12- |
3- |
1 |
|
2005 |
10- |
4- |
1 #15 in the nation |
|
2006 |
14- |
1- |
1 #11 in the nation |
|
2007 |
20- |
3- |
1 #6 in the nation |
|
2008 |
13- |
3- |
1 #7 in the nation |
| 2009 |
14 |
2 |
0 #6 in the nation |
Coach Read has a simple philosophy. We do not need the best players; we are seeking the right players. Players win games, not coaches. Graduations rates are more important than wins.
Coach Read is a firm believer in the community college concept and mainly recruits from within the Central Florida area. Most of the players who graduate from Polk State College have an opportunity to attend and play for four-year colleges or universities.
Coach Read has had the honor of coaching 5 players who have earned the status of ALL AMERICAN, one of which was a 2-time All American. They are Adi Alvarado, Frostproof, FL; Danielle Mayer, Riverview, FL; Carol Myers, Ocoee, FL; and 2-time All American Kim Newsome, Apopka, FL and Jill Maykut, Orlando, FL.
Bill Read is also a volunteer coach at several local high schools track program. As a volunteer coach, he specializes in pole vaulting. His pole vaulters have been district and regional champs the last 4 years.
When not scouting soccer player, coach Read is an avid participant in Hunting and Fishing throughout the USA.
Read is a Florida native, born in Tampa and residing in Polk County all his life. He graduated from Lakeland Senior High, Polk State College, and the University of Central Florida. (While at UCF, Coach Read played soccer for 2 years, playing center mid and the striker positions.) He has been married for twenty-eight years and has two daughters who are both graduates of Polk State College and University of South Florida.