Grafton nets new soccer coach

Greg Springman’s passion for soccer started early.

“I’ve been playing soccer since about 3 years old,” he said.

Springman has been coaching high school boys and girls for nearly 15 years, and this season he takes over as Grafton High School boys’ head coach.

“I knew the history of the program in Grafton, that they’ve always been really successful. It’s a great opportunity to keep that legacy going there,” Springman said.

That legacy was left by Don Arnold, who retired from coaching the boys after 28 years. He remains head coach of the girls’ team entering his 27th season.

Springman comes to Grafton from Brown Deer High School, where he was a girls’ assistant coach the last several years.

He was the head coach at Franklin High from 2014 to 2016 and an assistant with Brown Deer’s boys from 2008 to 2013.

Springman, a Brown Deer native, teaches fourth grade at Brown Deer Elementary School.

In high school, Springman primarily played defender or goalkeeper, but that doesn’t mean he is a defensive-minded coach.

“I’d say I have that knack and feeling of the defense, so I like to not give up any goals,” he said. “But I like to put together formations to attack. Keep the foot to the pedal and keep attacking.”

Springman said he doesn’t plan to run many set plays, instead allowing his players to use their quick-thinking skills on the fly.

“You kind of just have your formation and see how things go,” he said.

“I have the philosophy that once you get into the offensive third, you be yourself. Be creative.”

But, Springman said, he will adjust according to the nature of his team’s talents.

“I’ve learned to kind of adapt my coaching style to my players’ needs,” he said. “It gets tweaked every year based on what players you have.”

For example, having two strong forwards could lend it self to more of an offensive team while a strong defensive line may turn the focus to the other side of the ball.

Springman said his favorite of soccer are the nuances that take a keen eye to notice.

“I love how there’s all the small parts to the game that you have to be a real fan to recognize,” he said. “All the little passes. It’s not all the end result of the goal. It’s the ideas that lead to the result.”

Springman still enjoys playing the game, most recently with the Milwaukee Brewers FC Majors and reserve league teams.

The sport, he said, is a gold mine for life lessons.

“I think it can teach them hard work, perseverance and working as a successful team,” he said.

With 11 players on the field at a time, “everyone to there has to do their part.

Whatever you do in life, you’re not going to do it alone.”

Springman will lead a young Grafton squad. Ten seniors graduated from last year’s team, which finished 6-9-1 and lost to Port Washington in a regional playoff game.

Springman, who was officially named coach last week, hopes to use the five contact days with his new team that the WIAA allows during summer. He is working with Grafton Athletic Director Kevin Moore on protocol due to the Covid-19 pandemic.