By Buck Frank

bfrank@altoonamirror.com

Before 2015, the Altoona Area High School girls soccer program didn’t enjoy much team success.

After Derek Winterburn was hired as head coach in 2015, the team’s achievements improved dramatically to the point where it won its first three District 6 championships in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

Now the program will be hoping to sustain that success moving forward as Winterburn’s resignation as coach was officially accepted by the Altoona School Board on Tuesday night.

“Derek came in when the program was at rock bottom,” Altoona athletic director Phil Riccio said. “When he became coach, you immediately saw not only that girls could play soccer, but that they could do it a high level. He put everything into it — blood, sweat, tears — for a long time, and it was greatly appreciated.”

Winterburn’s teams won at a 66 percent rate (95-44-5) during his eight years as coach. Riccio said the program is now highly regarded at the state level.

“I’m extremely proud of what the players have accomplished throughout my time with the program,” Winterburn said. “All of the success on the field is something any coach would be proud of, but I’m more proud of the success and caliber of young adults that have gone on to do great things outside of our program.”

Winterburn, a teacher in the school district, graduated from Pine Grove Area High School in 2001. He and his wife, Kara, have two children — Jackson, 10, and Isabella, 8.

He cited his family commitments as a big reason on why to step down as head coach.

“(My family has) gone above and beyond over the years, allowing me to commit everything I had mentally and emotionally — along with our staff and players — to build a program that we can all be proud of,” Winterburn said. “However, being a great husband and father is something I’ve also always strived to achieve. With Jackson and Bella now being 10 and 8, I only get one chance to be there as they grow up, and that’s something I don’t want to miss.”

Winterburn, who mentioned assistants Andy Aveni and Tom Lutz as major contributors to the program’s success, said he’ll continue to stay involved with youth soccer in the area and could possibly offer to help in a volunteer capacity with the Altoona varsity program.

Riccio said the job opening has been posted, and the interviewing process will begin once all of the applications are received. He’s hoping to have the next coach hired before the spring.

“It’s scary to walk away from something that we all put so much time, effort and energy into building,” Winterburn said. “I have confidence that Mr. Riccio and the administration will bring in someone who will pick up where we left off, and the program will continue the great tradition that we have become accustomed to.”