TARBORO —
Accomplishments are nothing new to Tarboro Lady Vikings first year soccer coach Leshaun Jenkins. He has been selected Coach of the Year in the Eastern Plains Conference in boys soccer six times and has also been selected Regional Coach of the Year five times in boys soccer.
On Tuesday, Jenkins received another award when he was selected as Regional Coach of the Year in girls soccer.
"It is a great honor, because there are a lot of programs in our region that are already established," Jenkins said. "To know that my peers have that level of respect for me is just a great feeling."
Jenkins isn't new to winning, because he has put the boys program on the map as one of the most dominate programs in the state. His record is 154-56-13. This season during his first year as head coach he carried the girls team to a 7-5-4 record and led them to a second seed in the NCHSAA 2-A state playoffs.
Jenkins doesn't like to take a lot of credit for his accomplishments, because he is just doing what he loves to do. Which is coaching a game that he has really grown to love.
Jenkins has three keys to success that he uses, which is visualize, actualize and realize. He said to rebuild a program you have to visualize and realize in some form or fashion.
"When you visualize you have to make it become some sort of reality," Jenkins said. "The final step is acting on it which is what I do to see what I want to accomplish."
That is how Jenkins was able to be successful this year after taking over the girls program. He visualized that he could turn the program around and move it in the right direction.
"I visualized the practices and girls celebrating at the end of games," Jenkins said. "I really created this mindset that made me really want to work hard for them. Now we realize that we didn't have the best season we could've had but next year anything is going to be possible."
Jenkins already has his mind on next season and has one main goal set for his team. That is to win the conference championship. They were so close this year under his direction, but feel just a game short. If the Vikings could have pulled out a win instead of tying Kinston the conference standings would have been a little different.
Jenkins is inspired as a coach and uses his faith as a big key to keep him motivated and confident in his team.
"I believe any position I am put in is through God," Jenkins said. "He has put me in charge of these athletes to make sure I give them my best and it is my responsibility."
Jenkins feels that if he doesn't give his team his best then he is selling them short. He also believes that he has a major role in the athletes destiny. If the kids are going to get to great places then it is going to require great leadership by Jenkins.
When Jenkins is burnt out, he has to remind himself that he has to lead the athletes.
"The memories of these athletes are going to be shaped around the type of leader that I was," Jenkins said. "It inspires me to know that I have the authority to make sure a kid has a great high school experience or not. I feel so strongly about that. I want every kid who plays for me to know what it feels like to be a champion on some type of level."
That is one of Jenkins' motivations as a coach. He just wants to make sure each one of his players reach that pinnacle to make sure that they can call themselves a champion.
Jenkins was asked several times in the past to take over the girl's soccer program at Tarboro. Jenkins decided to take over the program, because he wanted to change the face of the program. He had high expectations of his young players this year and knew they had the ability to accomplish the goals he set out.
"All I could think about was I could make champions out of the these girls," Jenkins said. "if I didn't step in an take over then I couldn't accomplish my goal of making them champions."
Jenkins said it wasn't to discredit anyone, but he just had that level of confidence that he knew he could make good things happen within the Tarboro soccer program.
He has one goal in mind next season and that is carrying his girls to the highest level and win a conference title.
Jenkins has won six conference titles during the regular season and three conference tournament titles as boys coach in only 10 years.
He has also carried his boys team to the state playoffs ten consecutive years and has advanced as far as the Elite 8.
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Related Photos
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Tarboro Lady Vikings first year head coach Leshaun Jenkins paces the sidelines during a conference match. Jenkins was named the Regional Coach of the Year Tuesday. That is his sixth regional award as a soccer coach.
Jenkins named Regional Coach of the Year
KICKED ANOTHER AWARD
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SWE Athletes of the Year
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Six Tarboro girls to compete in track finals
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Cougars finish 7th in state golf match
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