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Leopards' professor on the pitch

 
Published Dec. 6, 2006|Updated Dec. 7, 2006

Hernando junior midfielder Ashley Germain remembered wondering, at first, if her new coach was crazy.

He obviously knew what the heck he was talking about. Instead of playing "duck, duck ... goose" or just running, the girls soccer team actually did drills in practice.

But did this guy really expect her to sit there silently and scout two teams Hernando would face in the future? To think she had been all excited about going with her team to watch a game, grabbing some nachos and chatting with her friends.

But first-year coach John Bifulco wasn't having it. This wasn't supposed to be social hour. In his mind it was an educational field trip.

Bifulco, in his first year with the Hernando girls team, has changed the Leopards' thinking about soccer.

It might not seem obvious by the team's 1-9 record. But the players say because of his passion for the game, they are more focused on running the drills and learning about it.

"He tries to get us involved," Germain said. "At the beginning of the season, he wanted us to go to other games and watch the other teams. When we're (warming up), he tells us to watch the goalie and watch other people. It's something we never thought of before."

Now it's second nature for Hernando, which is the fourth Hernando County team Bifulco has coached. Before taking over the Hernando girls, Bifulco coached Springstead's girls, boys and the Hernando boys. He has compiled an overall record of 106-67-16.

Bifulco, who played collegiately at Jacksonville University, has never shied away from a challenge. Good thing because that's exactly what he got with this year's squad, which has been shut out nine times.

But he knew what he was getting into. On the first day of tryouts, he handed out questionnaires. The players were supposed to tell him their soccer experience. During that first week, Bifulco found himself showing some of the players how to simply strike the ball.

That's not a big deal to Bifulco as long as the players want to be out there. After all, his dad spent many a day kicking a ball with him in a local park in Huntington, N.Y.

The teaching part of the game is what appeals to him. It's a big reason he has taken on his second Hernando team.

"Change the backs," Bifulco hollered to his squad during one practice last week.

His defenders moved accordingly and the drill continued.

"He's tough," striker Megan Curry said. "He knows what he's talking about. It's kind of new for us because we never had coaches that would really get into the program and show us what we needed to be doing."

That means the standards are higher than in the past. But that doesn't bother Curry or Germain.

"He's definitely a no-nonsense kind of guy," Curry said. "We thrive on his encouragement. If you get a good word from him, it's amazing so you kind of have to get it from your teammates."

But, Curry added, in a way that's a good thing. Now the team is focused on improving as opposed to the petty stuff. They're a closer group.

Bifulco said it's simple why he is sticking with this team.

"My love for the game," Bifulco said. "I've been around it since I was 6 years old."

Kellie Dixon can be reached at kdixon@sptimes.com or (352) 544-9480.