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Date: 1/11/2023
WARE – Following a successful soccer season, Charlene Vallee received an award for her efforts and contributions to the game as the first female to coach a boys varsity team in Massachusetts.
On Dec. 12, 2022, a representative from the Western Massachusetts Soccer Officials Association presented Vallee with a plaque for the positive impact she has made to the game of soccer.
Since 2000, Vallee has coached the junior varsity boys and girls soccer teams in Ware. After nearly 20 years, she decided to step back for some time until spring 2022, when she was asked to coach the boys varsity team.
For the fall 2022 soccer season, Vallee was the sole coach for both varsity and junior varsity with a total of 24 people on both teams.
She said, “When I came in, it was about building the program.” Rounding out the season with a record of 11-3-3, the team made it to the Western Massachusetts tournament and state tournament.
“The boys had never had a winning season,” shared Vallee. “The goal was to achieve that.”
While she typically doesn’t enjoy being in the spotlight, Vallee said she was proud to receive the award from the officials but also sad, as she was being recognized for being the first woman to coach a boys varsity team in Massachusetts.
“It’s a man’s world,” she said. “It’s sad to know I was the first woman varsity coach. I am glad to be acknowledged but also sad because it’s 2022,” she noted at the time of the interview.
Although there may have been others, Vallee shared that she was the first female coach to be recognized in that capacity.
When Vallee was asked to return to coaching soccer, she said she was hesitant and unsure as to what it would be like. Despite those initial feelings, Vallee shared that she was well accepted which came as a “little bit of a surprise” to her. “Women coaching in sports get a little bit of pushback,” she said.
She went on to say, “I hope we encourage more girls to step up and coach, and people in general to coach. Hopefully there will be more women [coaches] in the future.”
Overall, Vallee’s experience in the new position has been “great” and she plans to continue leading the team to victory.
Aside from coaching soccer, Vallee has coached the Ware Junior Senior High School softball team since 1999. In town, she also served as the president of the Ware Youth Basketball Association and coached Ware youth soccer.