The cafeteria at Elizabethtown High School was perfect for my first
rules clinic as a head coach. I had arrived early and took the
opportunity to draw up some practice plans for the upcoming week. An
older gentleman came into the cafeteria and began setting up. It was
clear he would be presenting. He had made eye contact with me before
gently walking over to me. I couldn't wait to introduce myself as the
head boys soccer coat at Warren East High School for the first time.
That had to be what he was making an overture towards me for . . .
right? "Do you have somewhere else that you can do your homework?" was
what the old man wanted to know. Yeah, I was 21, clean shaven, and going
to be the youngest coach in the room for probably the next couple of
years. I mean, I still got to introduce myself as a head coach but only
so I didn't get kicked out o fthe meeting before it even began. For some
reason I was surprised by the question. So begins the coaching career of
Jay Gravatte. He's a man who grew up sure that he was going to play
professional soccer until his senior year in high school when he decided
he was going to be a high school soccer coach. Coach Gravatte is on the
list of the All Time Winningest Coaches in Kentucky's KHSAA history with
a record of 102 wins, 5 District Championships in 2 different regions
and 3 Regional Final Appearances.
