Wakeland High School welcomed a new teacher and coach this year. Known as Coach K, Coach Jacklyn Kerestine teaches 3D modeling and animation while also serving as assistant coach for the girls’ soccer team alongside head coach Jimmie Langford.
“My first impressions of Wakeland is that this is a very academic and extracurricular driven school and that everyone is very goal-driven and there are high expectations,” Coach K said.
She said her decision to coach comes from her own experiences. “I think back to all the coaches I had,” she said. “I actually had a mentor, my first job, who kind of put into perspective that I took from soccer my whole life. He told me, ‘What if you give it back?’ and so now it’s my turn to give back to soccer, and that was what led me to coaching.”
Soccer has shaped much of her life, she said, and her favorite memories are the small moments with teammates and the times her parents were able to watch her play in college.
Coach K has high expectations for the team. “I told Coach Langford within the first week that we are going to win state this year,” she said. “My expectation—and that is my ultimate goal—is to go back and win state this year.”
Players and staff say she brings energy to the program. “Coach K is an amazing coach! She knows exactly how to get us pumped up and ready to play!” said JV player Sadie Kalina. “She shares her experiences with soccer to help us learn more about the plays. She also has such a fun personality that helps us want to do our best on the field!”
Coach Langford said he enjoys working with her. “I love working with Coach K. She’s a lot of energy, a lot of fun, knows the game well, and gets along really well with the staff and students,” he said. “She’s very knowledgeable about this sport, she was a goalkeeper in college.”
Though she joked about not watching soccer outside of school—“Whenever I’m at the house and I’m watching TV, I don’t like to watch sports. I like to turn my brain off and watch terrible reality TV.” Coach K’s players and colleagues say her leadership is already making an impact.
