'The future's bright.' First-year OCHS girls soccer coach on verge of leading team back to top

Judson Hamby is starting over.

After spending 19 years as a soccer coach at Parkview High School in Gwinnett County, he's taking the Classic City's wheels for a spin.

He spent the 2023 season with Athens Academy, but he said because private schools don't funnel into a state retirement plan and he has six kids' futures to worry about, he returned to the public-school stratosphere and joined Oconee County's staff directory this year. He currently coaches the varsity girls soccer team and teaches health and physical education.

"Originally, when I took the Athens [Academy] job, I loved the school and I loved the program, great team," Hamby said. "Ultimately, I just made a decision for my family and for my retirement that I would get a job like Oconee County had, because I knew it wasn't going to be open for very long. ... I'm enjoying the (new) experience and the change and I'm blessed that this opportunity was there."

After winning a state championship in 2023, senior goalkeeper Ella Hayes said the team was initially stunned to learn they'd be getting a new coach at the start of the season.

"It was definitely a shock, like I wasn't expecting to hear we were getting a new coach, but I was excited too, to see how he would implement his soccer IQ and such," Hayes said. "It was interesting to see how he was going to come in and change us as a program, because we had a very strong season last season, and we lost two very strong starters. We were all curious to see how he would implement the newbies and rebuild."

In his first year with the Warriors, he's collected his 300th career win , leading them to the playoffs with a 15-1-5 overall record and a region title. The 2023 reigning state champions are into the state semifinals once again after a 1-0 shutout Monday night against Savannah Country Day. They've shutout every opponent so far in the Class 3A playoffs.

Coming into an established program can be a lot of pressure, but not for Hamby. Over the course of his career, Hamby won five state titles with the girls at Parkview and last year led Athens Academy to the Class 2A state championship game.

"I think, jokingly, I had to find a way not to screw it up," Hamby said with a laugh. "You've got to run your own race and coach your own way and I think what worked for the previous coach and the program he'd built; it made it easy for me to come in and follow. With that, I've put my stamp on different things, kind of making my identity as head of the program now. The big thing, the ultimate goal, is that every year is different.

"Looking at this year and comparing it to last year, you can't really do that. It's different kids, different players, different injuries, things like that. The girls have been very good at looking at one game at a time, one step at a time. For me and for them, there's already that added pressure in regard to being the reigning champions, but I think it's important, as a group, that we're focused on the now and not what's to come later."

Hayes said Hamby brings a different style of coaching to the table. It has to do with his club coaching experience.

"We do a lot more technical work, and we have these shooting drills that benefit me as a keeper," Hayes said. "I just feel like his knowledge of and for the game is incredible. He keeps the intensity, he always holds us to a certain standard, he's never let us falter, even if we're playing a team that we know may not be so good, our intensity at practice is held like if we were to be playing North Oconee or another rival."

Two things Hamby has implemented, or enforced more of, this year are "Hardhat Player of the Game" and supporting the younger teams. The former is an award given out to girls who put 110-percent into game night. For instance, Sydney Jackson won the hat after their second-round win over Lumpkin County for scoring two of the four goals. The latter is self-explanatory, building family ties and a culture and showing promise for the coming generations of Oconee County girls soccer players.

"No matter where you go, the most important things are the kids, the parents and the program," Hamby said. "It's all about them and their ability to put in the time and the effort to build (what we have here). As coaches, it's important, but at the same time, the investment that kids and families put into it is the key. ... The future's bright."

Sara Tidwell covers Athens-area high school sports and University of Georgia athletics for The Athens Banner-Herald. Contact her at stidwell@gannett.com and follow her @saramtidwell on Twitter .

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: 'The future's bright.' First-year OCHS girls soccer coach on verge of leading team back to top