XENIA — A familiar name has taken over the Xenia High School girls soccer program.
Harold DeLotelle, a 1969 Xenia High School graduate, was named head coach, replacing Jim Lamb, who left to start a soccer academy program. The 65-year-old spent the last 19 years as reserve A coach at Beavercreek, where he won 190 games for one of the area’s best programs.
In fact, DeLotelle figured he would win his 200th while coaching the rival Beavers.
“I was pretty happy,” he said. “(But) this job came up and I wanted to be a head coach. (And) I’ve always wanted to coach at Xenia.”
So as they say, two birds.
And it’s been a happy homecoming.
“Everybody has been real pleasant,” DeLotelle said. “Been great seeing people I haven’t seen in years.”
DeLotelle inherits a team what went 11-5-1 overall and 7-3 in the Greater Western Ohio Conference American South Division. The Bucs, however, were bounced from the sectional tournament after one game, losing 3-2 in overtime to Sidney. A good chunk of that team returns, and DeLotelle has liked what he has seen so far.
“They’ve responded very well,” he said. “My conditioning program is parallel to Beavercreek. This is what you need to do.”
DeLotelle — who holds a premier license from the National Soccer Coaches of America — said he hopes to improve on the players technical and tactical skills and teach the game more. He also hopes Lamb will be successful in building a feeder system for the Bucs.
“You don’t have kids that play at an academy, where they come up from eight-years-old,” DeLotelle said. “They have a club but it doesn’t have an academy where you get three or four teams out of a club. They started when they were maybe 10, 11, maybe 12.”
DeLotelle definitely has the credentials to be able to get the Xenia program back to when it was one of the best in the area. In addition to his premier license (the highest available), DeLotelle took a team to Europe in 1999 and has coached Olympic Development Program state pool tams in 2005 and 2006. One of his players was Cincinnati native Rose Lavelle, who is a midfielder on the US women’s national team. DeLotelle is also director of coaching for Club X.
“We are excited to be able to fill with the position with somebody as much experience and success as Coach DeLotelle has,” XHS Athletic Director Nathan Kopp said in an email.
