Veteran educator Adam Palmer is next in line to take over the Gilmer High School girls soccer program.
Palmer’s entire teaching and coaching career has been spent at Clear Creek Middle School where he has led the boys and girls soccer, cross-country and golf programs.
“I’m super excited about this opportunity at GHS,” Palmer said. “There’s a ton of potential, and I know with the staff we’re going to have, we’re going to have some tools in place to build upon what is already there and move it forward.”
Palmer, 38, just wrapped up his 14th year as a teacher and coach in Gilmer County.
“I love to see the growth in the players and the camaraderie,” Palmer said when asked what he enjoys about coaching. “A big part of it is learning how to work as a team and supporting each other. Now that we have this opportunity, what we really want to do is start the growth from the bottom ... from the little kickers at the rec level all the way up to the high school.”
Palmer and wife Betsy have a daughter, Hadley (1), and are expecting daughter Piper in October. Palmer got involved with Clear Creek soccer in 2008 and cross-country in 2012. Seven CCMS teams won league titles under his guidance.
“I don’t know everything, I know that. I just know what experiences I’ve had and how valuable experience is,” Palmer said of his time coaching. “Through those experiences, you learn about yourself and situations and what has worked in the past. Every day is new, and there’s always something new you can learn. I’m going in with the mindset that every day is a learning experience, not just for the team, but for myself as well. We’re all in a process of growth.”
During Palmer’s time as the Bobcats’ soccer head coach, they captured five Mountain League titles, which included four in a row from ’12-’15 plus a runner-up finish in 2011.
The Lady Cats won the soccer league championship in 2016. Palmer then stepped away from soccer to start the golf program at CCMS, and a league championship followed in 2019. Palmer returned to the girls soccer sideline for two seasons before accepting the job at Gilmer High.
“I think the transition to GHS will be smooth,” Palmer said. “Most of the kids I know, and there are some I don’t because they were in that three-year window when I moved into golf and they’re close to graduation. I know if they’ve been playing with the kids I coached that it shouldn’t be anything difficult, especially with the support staff we’re going to have in place.”
The aforementioned support staff includes assistant coaches Paige Johnstone and Stephen Byrd. Johnstone is the head coach of Clear Creek girls cross-country and GHS swimming. Byrd is a veteran coach who has overseen youth soccer development at the Three Rivers Athletic Club.
“The kids will know what’s expected of them, and there will be a clear culture of what we’re working toward,” Palmer said. “We’ll have goals each game, and we’ll be able to go back and look at our successes and what we need to work on.
“I want to build a culture of soccer in Gilmer County. There’s a lot of potential in the county from the little kids up to the high school. Those at the high school are going to be the ones who set that precedent and example of what that is. I want our kids to be students first and athletes second. We want them to do everything at a high level and understand their choices are committed choices and they do those with fidelity and integrity.”
Palmer plans to make all the necessary provisions in the preseason and ahead of matches to ensure the Lady Cats are ready to play and confident in their abilities.
“From a tactics standpoint, there are three things I like to enforce with any team, and they are: how we use our time, how we make our choices and how we prepare. You can’t always control a lot in the world, but you can always control if you’re prepared. That’s what I want to instill in the kids. My job is to eliminate as much stress and nerves so they’re confident when they step on the field.
“You’ve got to have the belief in what you’re doing and trust within your teammates. That in and of itself might take a little time to manifest with a new system.”
Palmer and staff will start to put the program in place when they hold a youth soccer camp later this month.
“Having Steve on staff is an enormous asset because he has the opportunity with some of the younger kids I don’t see at school. He’ll have that connection at camp, and with Paige at the high school, she’s on site with those players, and I have the opportunity with the kids at the middle school. So, it covers a lot of the bases of a lot of the players.”
Palmer will continue to teach chorus at CCMS and will maintain his role as the boys cross-country head coach.