Coach Jeff Blumkin was hired by the Athletics Department last sum­mer to run the Marlborough soc­cer program, overseeing the 7/8, 9th Grade and JV Soccer teams and coaching the Varsity Soc­cer team.

After a difficult sea­son last year, dur­ing which the Var­sity team lost most of their games, the team is improv­ing, according to Blumkin, and has the motivation and determination to succeed in the Sun­shine League playoffs. This season, Varsity Soc­cer has won six games, lost four games and tied for one game. While many players said they are happy with these results, oth­ers are concerned about the team’s chances at playoffs.

“At this time the lack of serious­ness of players and concentration affects the team greatly and adds to my anxiety,” Mara ’14 said early in the season.

Blumkin tries to get a competitive edge from the girls by having them compete in practice games against each other so that they know when to start to pushing themselves more.

“One of the perks of teaching the girls is their self-determination, because of their frustration of their previous season, and the fact that their egos don’t get in the way, like boys’ egos do. They are playing for the team, not for themselves,” Blum­kin said.

Blumkin started play­ing soccer at age seven un­der the guidance of his fa­ther, a pharmacist who coached him during his free time. Blumkin played not only soccer but also basketball, vol­leyball and track. After his successful years as a high school athlete, Blumkin moved on to play professional soc­cer for the Montclair Stan­dard Falcons, which was a short-lived professional soc­cer team in the early nineties. Un­fortunately, his soccer career ended shortly after an opponent viciously kicked his head, mistaking it for the ball.

However, Blumkin continued to share his passion for soccer and has coached teams at schools such as Notre Dame High School and Cham­inade High School. Blumkin coach­es with his assistant and long-time friend James Mitrov.

Blumkin said he expects 150% from all of his soccer players but also understands the academic pressure Marlborough puts on students. He said his goal for the 2011-2012 win­ter season is to help Varsity reach the playoffs.

“The way I coach these girls is the same as I teach college players or my daughters. I expect them to leave their problems off the field and play soccer,” Blumkin said.

Many of the players said they re­main hopeful about the rest of the season because of Blumkin’s sup­port.

“Jeff Blumkin is so much more supportive and helpful than last year’s coach,” Sydney ’14 said. “Playoffs is definitely more pos­sible to achieve, rather than last year when we lost every single game. I’m really glad we have a coach like him.”