Ramos knows many of the players from youth leagues
One of the few things Ramiro Ramos remembers from his playing
days at San Benito High School was when the Haybalers beat Gilroy
on the road his sophomore season in 1986.
The Mustangs were a top four team in the Central Coast Section
that year, and the underdog Balers were gunning for a playoff
berth.
Ramos knows many of the players from youth leagues
One of the few things Ramiro Ramos remembers from his playing days at San Benito High School was when the Haybalers beat Gilroy on the road his sophomore season in 1986.
The Mustangs were a top four team in the Central Coast Section that year, and the underdog Balers were gunning for a playoff berth.
“I thought we had a very good team back then, my sophomore year,” Ramos recalls. “If I remember correctly, we were very close to going to CCS, and everything came down to the results of Gilroy versus Live Oak. It was very, very close.”
Memories, especially ones that have involved the CCS playoffs, have been few and far between for the San Benito boys soccer team since then, however. With only three appearances in school history, San Benito’s last section berth came in 1983.
“It’s been a while, that I know, that Hollister has gotten that close to going to CCS,” Ramos said. “And it’s amazing. Like all this week during tryouts, I was like, ‘We should be getting a little bit farther than just halfway there.’ And that’s gonna be our goal.”
Ramos, 38, will take the reigns this season as head coach of the boys varsity team at SBHS, which went 6-9-2 overall last season, 4-8 in the Tri-County Athletic League – the best TCAL record the Balers have enjoyed since the 2002-03 season.
Although it will be Ramos’ first coaching gig at the high school level, the 1988 graduate of SBHS has headed youth teams in the past, including club teams from the Hollister Tremors for the last seven years.
Just this season, in fact, Ramos’ U16 team won both the Delgado League championship and the District Cup, which qualifies them as a select team in the Abronzino League next season.
“Class I,” Ramos said. “More competitive. More traveling.”
Ramos replaces Ben Alvarez, who moved over to coach the girls varsity team this season after one year with the Baler boys.
Initially, Ramos was going to be the boys’ junior varsity coach under Alvarez this season, but when Alvarez made the switch to the Lady Balers, Ramos filled in the vacant varsity spot.
Like his predecessor, though, Ramos’ involvement with the Tremors puts him at an advantage of which most first-year coaches simply cannot boast. Having coached eight of the 22 players on the varsity roster before, Ramos enters with a knowledge of his players already – and his players with a knowledge of Ramos – before the team even plays their first game, conducts their first practice.
“I know most of them … But it seems like it’s gonna be easier now, now that they’re a little more disciplined and want to earn their spots,” Ramos said. “I think it helps that they know me and I know them a little bit. Some of them know my coaching drills and practice style. I think they feel very comfortable with me.
“I see the guys two or three times out here, and I feel like I’ve known them for a long time. They’re a good group of kids.”
Last year, Ramos attended some of San Benito’s JV games, checking out some of the players he coached from the Tremors, a few of whom were eventually called up to the varsity level.
San Benito lost quite a bit last season when TCAL selections Efrain Espinoza and Josh Flores both graduated, though, but Ramos’ rookie season as head coach won’t be lacking in senior leadership – the new coach will have 12 seniors on the team this year.
“There is a lot of talent, and one of my biggest problems right now is trying to decide who should be on varsity and who should be on JV. The competition is there,” Ramos said. “But I think because I’ve had these kids some many years, since they were 8 and 9, they really know each other. They’ve gelled so well … It’s the team and how you direct them.”
Seven years ago, having watched his son’s youth soccer team play 7-on-7 with a rare 1-5 formation – that’s one defender and five forwards – Ramos decided to pick up coaching. Believe it or not, his approach to the game did not involve an all-out attack on the net, leaving nary a defender in the backfield.
A sweeper at SBHS who later tried out at Cal Poly, Ramos believes in defense for obvious reasons, and he’ll look to instill a sound passing game into the Balers this season as well – from the fullbacks to the halfbacks to the forwards.
On the soccer fields Tuesday, although Ramos spoke to his players at the end of practice in a soft-spoken tone, it was clear who the coach was. And come this Tuesday, when the Balers open their 2008-09 campaign at home to Sobrato, Ramos will probably have a firmer sense as to how much coaching there is left to do.
“Practices are more mellow. It’s the games, anything can happen in a game,” Ramos said. “If everything is under control, they know what they’re supposed to be doing and they’re doing it right, I shouldn’t be yelling at all.
“Once in a while I’ll lose it a little, but in general, I’m more of the quiet type.”
The San Benito Haybalers will kick-off the 2008-09 campaign on Tuesday, Nov. 18, when they will host Sobrato at 3:30 p.m., in Hollister.
