The Herald sat down for a one-on-one conversation with Caroline Nuttall, Sacred Heart Academy’s new varsity soccer coach. She is a former professional and NCAA Division I athlete, has been passionate about soccer since she could walk. She began practicing with the Rough Riders at age 13 and played with the team for three years until she turned 24. Nuttall shares her journey and how it led her to coaching at Sacred Heart. Nuttall emphasizes the importance of character, hard work, and confidence in her coaching philosophy, aiming to inspire young female athletes to lead fearlessly and support one another.
Q: How has your experience coaching at SHA been so far?
A: It’s a dream come true. It’s everything I could have asked for. I’m surrounded by powerful women – and I’m not even just talking about my faculty, but students as well. It’s a great place to be, and ideally, I really have the best of both worlds. I have my marketing job nine to five, and then I go and coach afterwards. And I’m very, happy and pleased. And I think the institution is headed far, I really do.
Q: Can you tell me what it was like playing for the Rough Riders?
A: My experience was, again, incredible, everything I could have asked for. My dad was a part of the original Rough Rider team, so it was pretty cool to be able to play for the same organization, because it represents so much being on the island playing semi-pro. It’s not something everyone can do. And I feel so grateful to be part of that experience. I was again, surrounded by amazing females, who just genuinely challenge you to be your best every day, and that’s something that I’ve really tried to carry over to Sacred Heart.
Q: Were you ever pressured to play soccer because sports ran in your family?
A: I was born with a soccer ball in my hand, but it wasn’t glued to me. I had the decision whether I wanted to play. So that alone, I think drew me more to the game because I had the option to not play. I was never peer pressured or pressured by my parents to do so. My dad played pro. My mom was very, athletic as well. She grew up playing basketball. So you want to fill those shoes and be like them. They’re your role models from the day you were put on this earth! But there was internal pressure to want to succeed for them.
Q: How would you describe your coaching philosophy you instill in your players?
A: A lot of what I say to them is listening to your authentic self, because that’s so important. And whatever you need we are here to support you – outside of the field or on the field. We will always push them out of their comfort zones and challenge them. If anyone’s ever having a bad day or struggling, and just kind of remind them that you’re here for so many good reasons, and we are so grateful to have you in our program, because everybody offers such an important piece. Everybody plays a role. And if we can all get one percent better every day. That’s my philosophy.
Q: How do you hope your presence as a female athlete inspires the girls you coach?
A: I want to show them a leader doesn’t have a specific look. I want to show them that it doesn’t matter what you look like or who you are –if you’re competitive, you’re driven, you’re humble, and you stay hungry and support everyone they’ll walk away from this experience believing they can lead fearlessly and lift others up along the way. At SHA we pride ourselves on the character. Our first tryout, we tell our girls, ‘we’re going to look at your character first, how you are as a person and then we’ll look at how you play’ because if you’re not a good person, then it’s not going to benefit you, it’s not going to benefit anybody.
Q: Having played in Britain, what difference do you notice between soccer culture and playing styles in the states versus the U.K.?
A: I grew up in Wilson Park but I played in Britian, my fathers British, and that was a great experience because I was able to take all the different aspects of the game and the culture and implement that into the SHA program. The culture it’s so different. It’s different playing styles and different culture are so valuable.
