SPRINGDALE — Springdale Har-Ber was fortunate when it decided to upgrade its boys soccer program.
Nelson Medina was living in the area after he met his future wife in Las Vegas and moved to Arkansas. He had plenty of soccer experience as a coach and player who was a captain on his college team at Oklahoma City University.
Har-Ber made the call, and Medina accepted.
The move proved beneficial for both as Medina led Har-Ber to a 7A/6A-West Conference championship and a 7-0 record in league play in his first season as its coach. For his effort, he was named the All-NWA Media Coach of the Year for boys soccer.
“We had some high expectations, and obviously, we’re pleased with the season,” said Medina, who previously coached in California and Nevada. “From where the program was in past years, I think we exceeded people’s expectations of us.”
Har-Ber (10-8-1) won only two conference games in 2012 under Paul Crouch, who didn’t have much experience with soccer. He resigned, and Medina was available after moving to Arkansas with his wife, Shannon, who was born and raised in Prairie Grove. The two had met years before when she was visiting Las Vegas and Medina was directing a youth soccer academy in the city.
Medina spent some time as a trainer after moving to Arkansas, then got back into coaching with the Arkansas Comets, a club team. After getting the Har-Ber job, Medina lined up a tough non-conference schedule this past season that included teams from the Tulsa area, where soccer is popular.
The Wildcats started 3-7-1, but tied Springdale High 2-2 in a non-conference game before the start of league play. That gave Har-Ber a boost of confidence, and the Wildcats swept to the 7A/6A-West championship with seven consecutive victories after beating defending state champion Springdale 2-1 when both teams were undefeated in conference play.
The showdown drew a large and enthusiastic crowd for soccer to Jarrell Williams Bulldog Stadium, and the Wildcats celebrated well into the night after the victory.
“Having (Medina) as our coach has made a big difference for our team,” said Miguel Gomez, one of the four captains for the Wildcats. “Knowing that he was a great soccer player himself, we listened to what he showed us in practice and took it to the games.”
Har-Ber’s season ended in disappointment with a 3-0 loss to Bentonville in the Class 7A state tournament. But Har-Ber showed there are two formidable soccer teams in Springdale now, and the Wildcats are excited about next season with top players such as Gomez, Cole Brothers, goal keeper Ben O’Brien returning.
“Overall, it was a fantastic year and I’ve very proud of the boys,” said Medina, who once played on the USA Youth National Team. “We lose only five seniors and we’ve got some freshmen coming in who should help. So, we feel like we’re in a good spot to keep this program going.”