Two Former Eagles Having Success as High School Coaches
KIRKLAND, Wash. – Two former Northwest University soccer players, now high school head coaches, find themselves in prime position to make it to the Washington state high school tournament this week. Kyle Tatro, former Eagle defender, is now the varsity boy’s coach at 4A Issaquah High School and former NU midfielder, Kyle Veach, is the head coach of the boy’s varsity at 3A Glacier Peak High in Snohomish.
Veach’s Glacier Peak team clinched the WESCO 3A South Division and conference championship with a 12-2-2 (9-0-2 in league) record to date. Kyle is in his first season at GPHS having moved there from a similar position at Stanwood High School where he coached both the boys and girls teams for four years. The Grizzlies are a veteran group this season with 11 seniors, 5 juniors and 3 sophomores. He has three players currently being recruited to play collegiately next season.
“We’re a talented group and have been playing together for a number of years,” states Veach. “After reaching the quarter finals last season, we had very direct expectations for this season. We’ve done well, but the job isn’t finished. We have a tightknit group that knows they have a chance to become legends, but we play a funny game that can bounce many ways. I’m excited to see how this shakes out in the end.”
For Kyle Tatro, it’s his first year as head coach, but sixth with IHS. His Issaquah Eagle team finished in second place in the Kingco 4A Conference sporting an impressive 11-1-1 overall record and 9-1-0 in league play. The No. 4 ranked Eagles’ only loss came at the hands of the league champion, No. 3 ranked Skyline, in a close 1-0 defeat. They meet again Thursday, May 8, for the league championship and seeding into state district post season play and a place in the WIAA state tournament. Unlike Kyle Veach’s veteran Glacier Peak squad, Tatro has a relatively young group with 10 juniors, 8 seniors and one sophomore with many of his starters in their first year of varsity play. He also has several players moving on to play at the collegiate level.
Said Coach Tatro, “This team is full of great character and players committed to the process. They love to have fun and love winning and they are a competitive group of great individuals who work well together. This team has been a blessing to work with and have told them from the start they are a special group who are destined to do great things. So far, they’ve lived up to that, now they need to be sure they finish strong and ensure they achieve what I know they are capable of accomplishing. Our hopes of winning a trophy is high in a league that is so competitive, but that vision is not beyond reach. It is a very obtainable goal for this group of young men.”
For NU men’s soccer coach, Gary McIntosh, it’s a proud moment.
“Kyle Veach was a very good player for us but even a better person,” said McIntosh. “He played outside mid for us here at NU and then played for the semi-pro team in Salem. Kyle made a big impact here at Northwest and proved to be one of my best signings. He was a competitor on the field, a hard worker, and contributed to the success of the program. But, more than his passion for soccer was his passion for the Lord and the people around him. He was a great teammate and was the face of our team to the entire campus for the three years he was here. It doesn’t surprise me at all that he is having success as a coach.”
Said McIntosh about Tatro,” Kyle was another outstanding player who played for us, but like Kyle Veach, a better person. He played defense for me here at Northwest and one year led the team in assists as a defender. He is a competitive player and was always pushing everyone around him to get better. Kyle is always looking for way to give back to youth soccer. I always knew he would coach someday because he was always coaching in our practices. It does not surprise me he is having success as a high school coach. “
Whatever the results are this week, the two Kyles have already had a major impact on varsity soccer at their respective schools after only one season at the helm and they left a positive and lasting legacy at Northwest University.