There is always one thing that crosses the mind of Rosie Mendez and that’s what’s best for the team. As the Estrella Foothills soccer season was approaching, the girls head coach faced a tough question.

“We found out in April that we were expecting him, I was really nervous, like [great] right dead in the middle of soccer season,” Mendez said, “Should I not coach this year... but I don’t want to leave them in bad hands because these are the freshman I started four years ago with.”

With her first child on the way in December, her husband Aaron, the assistant coach, stepped in midway through the season.

Coach Rosie, her husband Aaron and their newborn baby. Photo courtesy of Rosie Mendez

“I’ll help you, I know some of them, so I can help you, it’s going to be a little different, but I can help,” Rosie recalled. 

The transition started, Aaron attended offseason workouts with his wife to get acclimated to the girls he would soon be coaching. 

Rosie and her husband are professional players so Aaron, who plays for FC Arizona, already knew the game. His dilemma would be coaching young women in his first year.

Rosie and Aaron Mendez after an FC Arizona game. Photo courtesy of Rosie Mendez

 

“It was definitely weird at first, coach Aaron is more laid back and doesn’t want to over-step the boundaries because we are girls,” senior Justine Rios said. 

The girls were nervous at the start but ready to do whatever was asked from their coaches. “We knew him, we trusted in him,” Rios said, “It was different but it wasn’t as different as I thought it would be and we put our trust in him and believed that he would drive us in the right direction.”

Aaron was determined to lead the team the same way as his wife would. In fact, if he had an issue, Rosie was always a message away.

“I have parents messaging me and keeping me updated,” Rosie said, “[Okay] tell him this tell him that.”
Aaron embraces his wife’s couch-coaching. He even texts her himself and collaborates with her at home. 

“She has some parents texting her at halftime or I will and that’s kind of what we go off for games,” Aaron said. “We both kind of go more towards what she wants to do. When I’d get home, she’d have her ideas and we’d kind of mix them together.”
 

With his professional background Aaron brought his ability to jump in and give a hands-on approach to his coaching. 

“He’s the first coach I’ve ever had that practices with us or jumps in,” senior Halee Yeager said. 
Rios added: “They’re similar but with different factors. He is able to practice with us and is able to do drills with us, [Rosie] was in an accident and she can’t do a lot of stuff so she has to more direct with us.”

Changing a coach midseason is not common for high school athletics, but Estrella Foothills thrived. 
After making the playoffs for the last two years, Estrella Foothills went 14-0 and added another division championship to its name. They outscored opponents 82 to 5 in season play. 

 “I’ve been with Rosie since I was a freshman, getting a new perspective and a new coach was good for us,” Alexis Hayes said. 

Leticia Valencia, a freshman, added, “I was focused on having Rosie, but it’s been great with coach Aaron.”

Rosie and Aaron coaching their Estrella Foothills Wolves. 

 

Estrella Foothills earned the No. 3 seed in the 4A tournament but lost to Prescott 1-0 in the quarterfinals.

It wasn't a lost season, however.

“They know what’s best for the team,” junior Anita Moreno said, “and what makes us better.”