Todd Burrow

Winning is nothing new at Highland Park High School. The traditional 4A powerhouse annually sports playoff-caliber teams in boys and girls athletics.

The girls soccer team is no different. And coach Michael Oldham wants to make sure that his girls are not only winners on the field, but off as well.

Oldham, who has played in both Division 1 and Premier Divisions for North Texas State Soccer, has guided the Lady Scots for the past three years, compiling a nifty 54-11-3 mark along the way. He has three teams, with 58 players in the program. His assistant, Becky Morris, and he also have three full-time trainers on staff and a student trainer.

Before coaching at Highland Park, Oldham coached boys soccer at Flower Mound Marcus High School (1990-94), and girls soccer at Richland College in 1996 before taking the helm at HPHS. His overall record is 100-39-4.

Oldham wants to make a difference in his players' lives.

"I love coaching," Oldham said. "It is a great challenge to impact the lives of all of our players. I hope to change the lives of all of our players."

Oldham guides a soccer team that has made the playoffs nine out of 10 years and competes in a combined 4A and 5A bracket. If the University Interscholastic League, the governing body of Texas high school athletics, moves the Highland Park School District to 5A, the effect would be minimal, Oldham said.

"We are considered one of the top three teams in the state at all times," he said.

Admittedly, soccer is not a sport with a large fan base, Oldham said, and he provided two reasons.

"They (fans) have not grown up with the game as a major part of their lives, and two, the limited scoring. It will change with the generation of kids we have now because they will grow up with the game."

Oldham said there are about 100-200 loyal fans who attend each game, about average for high school soccer matches, he said, because "it is really cold."

Still, he's pleased with the support of his local boosters.

"I am very pleased with the tremendous support we receive here at the high school," Oldham said. "Our parents do most of the work, leaving the coaching staff to concentrate on coaching. I would hope that high school soccer would have an equal part, in conjunction with club soccer, in the development of the players and exposure to many different styles and levels of play."

With many kids beginning to play soccer at an early age, the love of the game will continue to grow, he said, making soccer more popular with future generations.

"If they stick with it that long, they ultimately will have a great love for the game, which carries over to their desire to get better," Oldham said.

So, for the time being and for what appears to be for many years to come, being involved in girls soccer will be something many young girls will seek during their journey through Highland Park High School.

And that suits Oldham just fine.