Sultan’s Fuller ready to move on after 18 years coaching soccer

Published 9:29 am Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Nearly two straight decades of coaching soccer is enough for Andrea Fuller. She wants a break.

Fuller has resigned as Sultan High School’s head girls soccer coach, a position she held the past 13 seasons. Before that she was a junior-varsity coach in Ellensburg for four years and then Sultan’s JV coach for a year.

Fuller guided Sultan to lofty status her first 10 years, when the Turks qualified for seven state tournaments. The pinnacle was 2002 when Sultan won the Class 2A state championship.

But the past three seasons Sultan experienced a steadily dwindling turnout and won just four games, including an 0-16 mark this past fall. Fuller said she hopes her successor will reenergize the program.

“I don’t necessarily have the same passion for it that I used to,” said Fuller. “Certainly losing was a factor in that but it wasn’t the entire thing. I was very clear with the girls that our record this year did not force me to resign.”

Added Fuller, “I’ve been very fortunate throughout my time at Sultan to have great players and great parents.”

Fuller, who will continue teaching social studies at Sultan High, said she felt no pressure from administrators or parents to quit. She was simply ready to move on and looks forward to having a chance to travel during the summer instead of coordinating team-related events.

Girls soccer participation has tumbled in recent years at Sultan. Fuller said as many as 50 girls used to turn out. In 2006 it slipped to about 40 and by this past season it plummeted to 29. For the first time, Fuller was not able to field a JV squad.

During Fuller’s most successful years, a strong core of year-round players fueled the team. The Turks were consistently among Washington’s best squads. After earning top-four finishes in 1997 (second), 1998 (second) and 2001 (fourth), they won it all in 2002. Sultan won the program’s first state title by outlasting Naches Valley in a shootout at Harry Lang Stadium in Lakewood (Pierce County).

“What was fun about that group, in addition to having a lot of soccer success, was they were successful in other things,” said Fuller, referring to the players’ good grades and involvement in activities like drama and student government.

Writer Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/heraldnet/doubleteam.