Kicking it up a notch

Like all of the athletic teams at Ss. John Neumann-Maria Goretti, the girls’ soccer squad is getting an extreme makeover.

The team name will switch from the Lambs to the Saints, and the players will be outfitted in black, white and gold uniforms.

But the squad’s new coach wants to make sure the changes are more than cosmetic.

"We can always change the color of a uniform, but we want to change the outcome of games," said Jim McBride, who inherits a Catholic League program that has yet to enjoy a winning season in its eight-year history.

McBride, one of five brothers to play soccer at Father Judge, was named the Saints’ soccer coach in July after former coach Jim Gallagher decided not to reapply for the position.

The 34-year-old said he realizes his work will be cut out for him when practices begin Aug. 23. This is the first high-school coaching job for McBride, who has previously coached Department of Recreation teams in Northeast Philly, where he lives.

The former Lambs — who recorded their best season in 1998 with a 3-7-1 mark — are in serious need of credibility.

As he works to rebuild the team, McBride, a 1987 Father Judge grad, will have some added motivation: His wife, the former Barbara Giordano, is a St. Maria Goretti alumna.

The coach, whose full-time job is managing a Center City office building, said his wife encouraged him to take the position at Neumann-Goretti.

"She said, ‘You might as well take a chance and see what you can do.’"

The coach will have a better idea of the Saints’ potential a week from Monday, when he officially meets his team and starts two-hour daily practices. The first true test for the squad will come Aug. 31, when the Saints play Bishop McDevitt in a non-league contest.

"We are going to go over fundamentals and basic skills and get the kids into going to the ball," McBride said, adding that the players must avoid falling behind early.

In past seasons, Goretti teams have fallen behind by a morale-crushing three or four goals in the first half. Even if the new squad can’t score that many goals, the coach believes the athletes can stay competitive through defense.

"My philosophy is, you can’t lose if you don’t let anything in, even if you don’t score," he said. "When you’re down by three or four goals at halftime, you don’t want to go onto the field in the second half."

McBride also aims to stir up more interest in soccer. Due to low numbers, Goretti’s junior-varsity players traditionally participated in varsity games. If the coach can draw about 40 athletes, he’d be able to form separate junior-varsity and varsity squads.

Northeast Philadelphia and the suburbs have long been hotbeds for soccer, but McBride believes South Philly feeder programs can do just as much to support the sport.

The Southeast Youth Athletic Association, Seventh and Bigler streets, and local rec centers "attracted my eye as far as building the program goes," said McBride, who started coaching when he was 18. "It’s just a matter of getting the player pool to expand."

The coach also will attempt to draw Neumann-Goretti athletes from some of the winter and spring teams.

"We just want to gain interest from the student body and basically get them out there and be competitive," he said.

And once the coach gets the athletes to commit to the Saints, he’ll encourage them to also play for club or travel teams. The extra effort can mean more wins for the high-school squad, as well as college scholarship opportunities.

"It helps them increase their skill level and develop into better players," McBride said.

It might be just the boost Neumann-Goretti needs to mark its territory on the Catholic League map. McBride wants his team to eventually be an even match with stronger programs like Cardinal O’Hara, who the Saints will play in their Sept. 8 season opener.

The coach is confident that his players can keep opposing squads on the run.

"I want teams to earn the win," McBride said. "I want teams to prepare for us, and in the future I know we’ll be competitive."

bgelman@southphillyreview.com