Westlake Girls Soccer Returns After Two-Year Absence With New Coach, New Direction

WALDORF, Md. — Westlake High School girls soccer is back on the field after a two-year absence, and first-year head coach Bruce Gettys is focused on building more than just a team.

Gettys has taken over the program with the goal of rebuilding it from the ground up and establishing a foundation that can grow stronger each season.

“There hasn’t been a team at Westlake for the last two years,” Gettys told The BayNet. “Me going there to take this job was to rebuild this program.”

Gettys said he does not know the exact reasons the program went away but believes a lack of participation and interest may have played a role. His connection to the Charles County community and experience coaching young players helped motivate him to take on the challenge.

Gettys has lived in Charles County for roughly 11 to 12 years and has coached soccer in recreational programs for the past eight years. He previously coached a group of young girls from their early years through the U15 age bracket before they eventually went their separate ways and attended different high schools.

That experience gave Gettys a desire to help bring girls soccer back to Westlake.

“I’m a real big community guy,” Gettys said. “I know a lot of young ladies that I’ve coached in the past that go there, and I said, you know what, let me see if I can get in, get my foot in the door and get my name out there and hopefully bring more girls in to help build this program.”

For Gettys, the first season is less about immediate results and more about establishing an identity.

While winning is naturally important to a competitive team, he believes the true measure of success will be how much the players improve throughout the season.

“With us having a lot of young players, that’s going to carry forward into next year,” Gettys said. “Most of these girls are going to be on the team next year too.”

Gettys sees this season as the first step in a long-term process. He compared building the program to constructing a house, with every practice adding another piece to the foundation.

“Each practice, we’re putting cinder blocks up to make this house strong,” Gettys said.

Work ethic, effort and consistency will all play a role in determining how quickly Westlake can develop. Gettys hopes the lessons learned this season will carry over to future teams and eventually create a culture where returning players become mentors for younger athletes.

He believes that process can help Westlake become a contender in the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference in the years ahead.

For Gettys, having talented players is only part of building a successful program. Developing chemistry and getting players to work together is just as important.

“You can be given the best 11 players in the county and that doesn’t mean they’re going to work well together,” Gettys said.

That is why Gettys is emphasizing maturity and team chemistry with his young group. He wants younger players to grow both as soccer players and individuals while learning how to work together as a team.

The two-year absence also makes participation a major priority. Gettys hopes the return of the program will encourage more girls to become involved and help create stronger numbers for future seasons.

Ultimately, Gettys wants Westlake’s first season back to serve as a starting point rather than a final destination.

The goal is to establish a culture that can be passed from one class to the next, with players becoming leaders and mentors as the program develops.

If that foundation is strong, Gettys believes the program can continue improving year after year.

“We’re going to be better and better and better every single year,” Gettys said.

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