What the coaches environment looks like

Coach Kenneth Hewitt is surrounded by his team.

Coach Kenneth Hewitt just finished his first year as the head coach of the womens express soccer team with a Regional XII championship under his belt and marking his second career appearance as coach in a National Championship game.

Hewitt’s first appearance was prior to coming to Owens, he was previously an assistant coach of men’s and women’s soccer programs at Carson-Newman University in Jeffferson City, TN from 2012-2014. He led the men’s team to a NCAA Division II National Championship game back in 2013. The women’s team improved under his coaching from a 3-11-2 record in 2012 to 6-7-4 in 2013.  While in Tennessee he also coached a u-8 and u-9 girls team and also a u-11 boys team.

Hewitt is originally from Brighton, England, attending school for two years there studying sports and development in the community. It was seven years ago that he moved to the US to play soccer at Ashland University, where he helped take his team to three Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) championships and one conference tournament championship. Three of his four seasons there Ashland made the NCAA tournament.

Coach Hewitt writes out his plan of action on his white board hanging in his office.

Hewitt graduated in 2012 has a Masters of Arts (teaching English as a second language) and a Bachelors in Science (sports management and physical education.)

He now lives in Ohio while coaching the Owens women’s team as well as a u-11 and u-15 girl’s team at Pacesetter Soccer Club in Sylvania.

As a soccer player myself I realize I find myself drawn to his style of coaching, he is the coach that is always there for his players on and off the field. I have sat down on many occasions to talk to this coach, he calls me when there are events because he wants the girls to get the recognition they deserve. He recruits not to fill spots but to make sure his team is constantly at their best.

When it came time for this assignment I took all I knew about this coach and wanted to make the pictures speak just this, so this is where you can find this coach during the “off season” and I say it this way because any coach or even athlete know there really isn’t an off season in sports. 

This coach has a plan that spans a year ahead of time, his communicates with not just his players but their families so they are reassured that their daughter will be on track academically as well as on the field.

Coach Hewitt had just gotten back from the Nationals tournament in Florida a couple days before this shoot and he was already on campus making his plan for the next step. He is usually on the field or in the gym working with his players, but he took some time to let me shoot him in the office while working. I believe that this portrait was easy to take because of the subject, soccer is something I love so seeing it through his eyes is easy for me. I feel each portrait is different and taking an environmental over a posed studio portrait is easier for me because of coaches like this.