Minutemen’s Sean Goldsworthy nominated for Coach of the Year
MENDHAM, N.J. — Mendham Minutemen’s head coach, Sean Goldsworthy, has recently been nominated for Coach of the Year, per NJ.com. The New Jersey native ironically grew up in Long Valley, one of Mendham’s long-time rivals.
Goldsworthy has had a passion for soccer since he was young. He never minded being around the game whether that be coaching, spectating or participating. He often took his experience being a former high school and collegiate athlete and trained younger kids in his early career, attempting to become a coach.
“I always loved being around the game of soccer, whether that was playing, coaching, watching or taking courses,” Coach Goldsworthy said. “I started coaching and doing training sessions for younger players when I was in high school. Soccer is something that I know more than anything else and I felt that if I could help others in need, then I could be of service. I took my first coaching license when I was in my sophomore year at Rowan University. From then on, I always coached teams during the summer and helped run clinics and camps.”
He was attempting to train and gain recognition to advance his coaching career down the line, and his passion drove him to any opportunity to coach soccer. Goldsworthy’s love for the game drove him so much he genuinely didn’t have a preference on which gender he wanted to coach. He was hungry for an opportunity and he was convinced that he’d take whatever presented itself.
When Coach Goldsworthy was asked why he chose girls soccer instead of boys soccer, he responded, “It did not matter to me which gender of the sport I was going to coach. I didn’t prefer boys or girls because I just wanted to be involved in the sport of soccer.”
Goldsworthy’s impact on Mendham’s program
Over the years of having success with the program, Goldsworthy has developed great relationships with his young players. One of the standouts, Sonja Zeepvat, was nominated for Goalie of the Year. Their relationship has grown and helped her elevate to new heights. Goldsworthy has believed in her talent and capabilities since he took over for the girls soccer program in 2020. He’s embraced her ability to learn and put her and the team in the best positions to win games. She initially was in between positions and helped the team out in whatever way she could, however, Coach Goldsworthy consider putting her full-time as the team’s goalie. They haven’t looked back since.
“Sonja Zeepvat is someone who continues to get better each and every day for us,” Coach Goldsworthy said. “When I took over as head coach in 2020, Sonja was a part-time goalkeeper and field player as a freshman the previous year, and I told her that she was going to be the starting varsity goalkeeper after her performance during pre-season. She is a very coachable player and always willing to learn.”
All in all, his impact has been dramatic on the program within the last couple of years. So impactful, in fact, that many of his peers throughout the state believed he deserved to be in the running for the COTY (Coach of the Year) award. While he was honored that he was nominated, he believes there were more deserving names on the list. He emphasizes his focus is on primarily getting better each and every day and impacting these young women’s lives going forward.
“I see some of the other names in the group of coaches that were mentioned and it’s humbling that I am mentioned with them,” emphasized Goldsworthy. “I have played for some great coaches, coached alongside others, and been taught by role models who set very high standards and went above and beyond. Personally, it’s nice to hear of the nomination but I know as a coach that I have to constantly keep getting better in order for my players to grow.”
Goldsworthy’s expectations on the future of the Minutemen
The Minutemen are having an outstanding season as they begin to prepare for an opportunity to compete for a state championship after falling to West Morris in counties, per NJ.com. While many would stay focused on this season, it’s hard not to look forward slightly into the next year. The Minutemen have nine seniors currently, which is a lot of leaders and experience to lose. However, they have a good amount of returning juniors. When asked if he thinks the team next season can achieve the same amount of success, Goldsworthy replied with hope and confidence.
“The team that we have now is setting the bar very high,” he said. “There will be a lot of returning varsity players next year and our younger players who will push for a varsity spot next year are hungrier than ever. I think if you look at the future, it is very bright and if you put on paper what is coming through the system, we can surpass what this team intends to do this year. However, well done is better than well said.”
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