BOX ELDER — The Douglas High School girls soccer team will see new leadership in the upcoming fall season. Heather Altman was named head coach of the Patriot team.
This is Altman’s first time coaching at the high school level, and she is excited to get started and grow the team both in skill and spirit.
“Heather has a strong ability to connect with students, and when you combine that with her extensive soccer knowledge, there is an exciting opportunity for growth for the girls soccer program,” DHS Athletic Director Josh Haaland said. “We are a very young program, and I truly believe she will develop our student-athletes to the next level of competitiveness and success.”
Originally from California, Altman and her family moved to Box Elder a year ago. Altman is an instructional aide at Douglas Middle School, and her husband is stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base. The couple shares five children, and Altman said the family has lived in seven states.
Altman is not new to soccer. Her love of the sport began at a young age and soccer is a huge part of her family.
“I’ve played soccer since I was five, and my older brothers played, so I kind of followed in their footsteps,” she said. “I’ve been playing soccer for as long as I can remember.”
Her father was the assistant coach for her high school team, and her daughter will play for the Patriots.
“I think it’s fun to have that tradition,” she said.
While this is Altman’s first time coaching at the high school level, she experienced coaching while she was in high school as part of a senior project. Once her children were old enough to play, she started coaching their teams. Overall, she has 14 years of coaching experience, which she is excited to bring to DHS.
Altman said she is focused on building a team culture that instills values both on and off the field.
“I am wanting to build a culture that’s competitive, accountable and deeply connected to each other and also the community,” Altman said. “I want one where players are proud to be a part of the program long after their season ends.”
She added that once players leave the program, she wants them to leave with qualities that will help them beyond soccer — discipline, accountability, resilience, confidence and leadership.
“I think it’s important for them to be part of something bigger than themselves,” Altman said.
While the team is composed of the players on the field, Altman added that parents and the Box Elder community play a significant role in the Patriot program.
“They’re essential to building a strong soccer program,” she said. “My goal is to create a partnership that’s built on trust and communication.”
She added parents help reinforce team values like accountability, effort and respect. Additionally, the community helps create identity by attending games, helping with camps or supporting fundraisers.
“Anything that gives involvement for the players so they can see the community supporting them,” she said.
While summer vacation is approaching, the team will spend part of the summer at local soccer camps to prepare for the fall season. Altman noted Douglas will hold a soccer camp in June focused on the love of the game and small scrimmages. A skills camp will take place in July, where the focus will be on passing and other drills before the fall season begins.
Altman shared that, to her, a successful season is about more than wins and losses. Instead, she hopes to build a foundation the program can continue growing from.
“I want the girls to build standards, show growth, compete constantly and create a belief in what the program can become,” she said.
“I love watching the team compete together in the flow of the game, make decisions, communicate and trust one another,” she added. “That’s where their growth really shows.”
“The way they handle that moment tells you if they’re growing into the kind of team that I want,” Altman said.
As she works with the girls, Altman shared she does have a competitive side that not many people know about.
“So we’ll have to see when we go one versus one and see how that works out,” Altman joked. “I’m just looking forward to starting this program and building our soccer team.”
