Feb 20, 2019 4 min read

Tracy Lovett is no stranger to the Belle Vernon Area High School girls soccer program.

An assistant under the late Paul Sasko during the most successful run in the team’s history, Lovett was hired Tuesday night to take over the program.

“It is hard to put into words what this truly means to me,” said Lovett, who has 14 years of coaching experience at different levels and started during her four years as a player at Charleroi. “To get back on the field and on the sidelines, it is just so special to me.

“Some of my best memories in life are there, and now I get to make even more.”

Lovett attended the meeting Tuesday night and she described the moment when she knew she was being hired.

“When I saw my name on the agenda and then heard the unanimous vote, I felt so much happiness and excitement,” she said. “I am so ready to reopen this chapter in my life and am ready to give 100 percent to this team and program.”

Sasko stepped down after the 2015 season and Lovett hung up her whistle instead of applying for the job.

“Paul announced his retirement to the girls in a classroom one day that November as we had a pizza party to celebrate the team,” Lovett said. “They all hugged him and all had tears in their eyes saying goodbye to the man they admired and came to love as it was an end to a truly amazing era.

“As we walked out, he asked me if I wanted (to coach) the team and said he would recommend me. I will never forget how I felt that day when he said that, but I said no because my son had two years of varsity soccer left and I did not want to miss one game as I loved watching my children play more than anything.”

Lovett coached her daughter, Meghan, and son, Markie, in youth soccer from the time they were age 4 and helped coach Meghan during her high school years.

With both of her kids now in college, Lovett discussed the thought of coaching again with her husband Mark and made the decision to apply.

The thought of taking over the team that Sasko, her dear friend who passed away unexpectedly in 2016, once coached hit close to home.

“He was one of a kind and those are some tough shoes, or cleats, to fill,” she said. “I miss him dearly and hope to make him proud.

“People say that a good coach can change a game and a great coach can change a life, and that is a quote I saw happen first hand many times coaching with Paul. That is a goal of mine.”

This past season, the team went undefeated in Section 2-AAA and 13-4 overall under head coach Tom Cameron and returns a core nucleus.

Lovett is excited to jump right in and will meet the girls this weekend when the team hosts the Belle Vernon Girls Soccer Indoor Tournament.

“It is the program’s biggest fundraiser and it is always a wonderful event,” she said. “Then I will sit down with assistant coach Dave Colditz and (Director of Athletics) Matt Humbert very soon to devise a schedule for offseason training.

“I also plan to sit with the booster president to see what our funds are so I can utilize some for additional team training this summer.”

The team will open in the third annual Paul Sasko Kickoff Classic on Aug. 31.

It is only fitting, as Sasko will surely be smiling down on his friend as she coaches her first game in his old position.