One of the phrases often used when discussing an effective team or unit, whether it be in sports or the business world, is to establish a culture that breeds success. No matter the sport, or level of competition, anyone who dons a whistle, play sheet and a clipboard in their hand and is referred to as coach wants to develop a culture that allows a group of individuals to enjoy success, build on that success and sustain that success at a championship level for multiple years.
Bill Walsh, an NFL Hall of Famer and three-time Super Bowl Champion with the San Francisco 49ers, once said "the culture precedes positive results. It doesn't get tacked on as an afterthought on your way to the victory stand. Champions behave like champions before they're champions: they have a winning standard of performance before they are winners."
Walsh knew and enjoyed success over the course of his NFL career with the Niners, winning 92 regular season games and 10 playoff contests, including Super Bowls in 1981, 1984 and 1988. He also captured 34 career victories, along with three bowl wins (Sun Bowl / Bluebonnet Bowl / Blockbuster Bowl) in two stints (1977-78 / 1992-94) that spanned a total of five seasons at Stanford.
A winning culture that has resulted in sustained success has also been established over the course of the last 15 years within the Salem soccer program. Since joining the NCAA ranks in 2008, the Salem soccer program is one of only two in the Department of Athletics—softball being the other—to make multiple trips to the NCAA Tournament (2013, 2014) and has earned 166 total victories along the way.
The Spirits have enjoyed 10 double-digit win seasons, posted 83 home wins at Varsity Field, captured 69 league victories between the Great South Athletic and USA South Conference, six Great South Athletic Conference championships and captured the regular season title for the USA South in 2016 and 2017.
The on-field team successes have parlayed into 27 different individuals being recognized as All-Conference performers by either the Great South Athletic or USA South Conference's. Salem has also been recognized for having three Player of the Year performers (Brooke Bukas, Stephanie Hubbard, Tarryn Johnson), two Freshman of the Year honorees (Tarryn Bundy, Tarryn Johnson) as well as a six-time Coach of the Year in Jay Callahan (Great South Athletic Conference {4}, USA South, AD3I).
CALLAHAN BEGINS 10-YEAR RUN AT SALEM (2008-17)
Callahan, who finished his career with a 140-43-8 mark (.781 winning percentage) at Salem, was the first coach in program history when the Spirits made their transition to the NCAA Division III ranks in 2008. He would finish 7-8-0 that season, marking the only time in his 10-year career with the Spirits that he did not win double-digit matches.
"I was hired by Kim Fierke in my mid-twenties while Salem was still in the exploratory stages of becoming a member of the NCAA and Division III," described Callahan. "The athletic department was incredibly lucky to have Kim, who was an incredible mentor to me, and Betsy Pryor during those initial years in the NCAA.
"Some of my favorite years were during those initial stages of the NCAA soccer program," continued Callahan. "Those student-athletes paved the way for the championship teams that would come in my last six years. I am still very close with a lot of those student-athletes and I am very indebted to them for the hard-work and passion they gave to the Salem soccer program. The program would have never reached the heights we reached without those student-athletes."
In 2008, Callahan guided the Spirits to two wins out of the gate, including the program's inaugural NCAA victory (5-1) at Hollins on August 30th. Salem followed that up by earning the first shutout (3-0) at William Peace on September 6th, moving to 2-0 on the season. Fourteen days later, Callahan and the Spirits broke a three-match losing streak by capturing the first of four straight victories by downing William Peace 6-1, marking the first-ever win at Varsity Field. Salem would go on to win three home matches that season.
The 2009 campaign began with Salem posting a 3-0-1 mark in its first four matches, defeating William Peace twice and Notre Dame (Md.), allowing just three goals in four contests. The Spirits also claimed their first-ever Great South Athletic Conference win (9-0) at Wesleyan (Ga.) on September 19th.
In his third season at the helm, Callahan again made progressions with the program, which finished 15-3-0 on the slate. The season was highlighted by winning streaks of eight matches (Oct. 9-Oct. 29) and five matches (Sept. 18-Oct. 1) and Salem allowing just nine opposing goals along the way. The Spirits reached double figure goals on three occasions, including a 12-0 win against William Peace (Sept. 21), and posted 11 shutouts along the way.
While Callahan's fourth season at Salem resulted in the second-fewest wins of his tenure (11-5-2), it laid the groundwork for the best five-year stretch in program history. Salem would go 82-16-5 overall from 2012-16, posting an impressive 35-2-1 mark in Great South Athletic Conference action. The Spirits' offense outscored its opposition 357 to 81, a difference of 276 goals, at a clip of 3.47 goals per match during that span. The program would earn the regular season crown four times in that stretch (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015), two tournament titles (2013, 2014) and appear in the NCAA Tournament in both 2013 and 2014 as a result.
Individually, Salem had two Great South Conference Player of the Year recipients during that span (Stephanie Hubbard {2013}, Tarryn Johnson {2014}), 12 Player of the Week honorees, eight National Soccer Coaches Association of America honorees, four Great South Coach of the Year awards for Callahan (2012, 2013, 2014, 2014) and a Great South Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player award for Taylor Norman (2014).
Among the members of the 2011 Salem soccer team that would be an integral part of the foundation of the program was Sawyer Ferguson, who played for the Spirits from 2011-14. Ferguson has left a permanent mark on the history of the soccer program, ranking in the Top-10 of nine career statistical categories including: goals scored (46-1st), points (108-1st), game-winning goals (15-1st), penalty kicks made (3-t-3rd), penalty kicks attempted (5-3rd), shots on goal (108-4th), shots (171-6th), shot percentage (.269-6th) and assists (16-t-7th).
"Most game-winning goals is my favorite record, because as a first year soccer player at Salem, I was only able to play six games before I broke my leg," said Ferguson of her record. "I took the rest of the season to rehab and I was back playing by spring. The next season, I was ranked second in the nation for game-winning goals and this was the confidence booster that I needed to get back to myself! I held the record since that season.
"Well, hunting is always the most fun," said Ferguson of her attempt to breaking records at Salem. "But, being hunted always drive you the hardest and that is how I am always looking to live my life. I hope my records get beat to be honest, because that means that girl worked her butt off to get it and I applause that."
After closing out the 2011 campaign with a 4-3 loss at Piedmont on November 4th, Salem would open the 2012 season with three straight wins over N.C. Wesleyan, Emory & Henry and William Peace. A second three-match winning streak against Spelman, Ferrum and Agnes Scott took place between September 15-22 before the Spirits suffered a 1-0 setback to Covenant on September 29th.
"We had never been in a conference until we joined the Great South," explained Callahan. "The first year in the Great South was full of heavy travel and getting used to playing new teams. Once we figured out how to play with strong opponents, like Maryville and Covenant, we were able to grow as a program. Also, as our program continued to grow because we were able to bring in stronger student-athletes in larger numbers with our recruiting classes.
"I was incredible lucky to have incredible staffs during my time at Salem," continued Callahan. "Those individuals included Sara McCormack and Thomas Moore and volunteer coaches like Mike Hollman, Sierra Hutchins, Graham Lyles, Chris Rowley, Jon Hoban, Rence Callahan and Kenny Morris. Having a great relationship with my staff was huge in developing our program."
The Spirits claimed wins over their next 10 opponents, surrendering just three goals—all of which came against Warren Wilson (Oct. 1)—before suffering a double overtime, penalty kick loss to Agnes Scott on November 4th. The season concluded with a 16-3-1 overall record and a 10-0-1 mark at Varsity Field.
"It was the most bonding moment that we had, because we were actually at our lowest point," described Ferguson of the setback to Agnes Scott. "The referees were the most disgraceful and unfair I've ever seen, and needless to say, all of us were covered in bruises after that game and the other team did not get reprimanded. We held that grudge for the rest of our time together and none of us will ever forget that moment, but it bonded us and made us stronger as a team as we had that team and that game in the back of our minds each day to drive us."
Callahan's crew carried over momentum from that season into the 2013 campaign, opening with a 3-0-2 mark with wins against N.C. Wesleyan, Guilford and Greensboro, while tying Meredith and Methodist. Like their 2012 counterparts, the 2013 unit had a 10-match winning streak throughout the month of October where they outscored the competition 43-2. The Spirits scored at seven of those matches, including a 10-goal performance against Trinity (D.C.) on October 5th.
"Win streaks are always incredible while they are happening" said Callahan of the team's mindset. "I don't think we ever focused on a win streak while it was happening. The goal was to play our best soccer at the end of the season and to win championships. We were undefeated in something like twenty-five Great South conference games before we joined the USA South.
"I always thought winning a regular season title was tougher than winning a conference tournament due to travel and more games played," described Callahan. "The fact that we won six straight regular season titles is something I will always be proud of from my time at Salem."
After posting a win against Mills (5-0) in the first game of the Great South Athletic Conference Tournament, Salem avenged its 2012 setback to Agnes Scott with a 2-0 victory over the Scotties, marking its first trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Spirits faced Hanover in its first postseason appearance, suffering a 2-1 setback on November 16th, finishing 15-4-2 on the slate due.
"After losing the previous year to Agnes Scott during the championship game (in a penalty shoot-out, after double overtime) we beat them 2-1 on our home field," described Ferguson. "I made the second goal to win it with my non-dominant foot with one of the best shots I've ever had! Best feeling ever."
The 2014 team steamrolled the competition, setting the program record for overall wins (18) and road wins (nine) along the way. The unit still owns the program mark for goals (95), assists (47), shots (515), shots on goal (304), penalty kicks (7) and is second in shut outs (12). After starting the slate 1-1, splitting matches with Washington Adventist (12-0) and Meredith (0-1), Salem would win nine of its next 10 matches. The Spirits repeated as Great South Conference Tournament champions, following three shutout wins of Pine Manor (8-0), Maine-Presque Isle (8-0) and Wesleyan (Ga.) (7-0), to reach the NCAA Tournament for a second straight season. The Spirits faced Lynchburg, who earned a 4-0 win on November 14th.
The 2014 campaign also concluded the collegiate playing career of Ferguson. She described her four years at Salem by saying that "if you want to get renowned education where you truly get to know all your professors, get all of the one-on-one help you need, which is super beneficial when you are balancing a sports, while creating life-long friendships, this is the place. My degree from Salem helped me get into dental school the first time around. This is because for four years I was able to have one-on-one help with all of my professors, and was able to receive true relationships with them."
Salem soccer continued to dominate the competition in 2015, duplicating the 1-1 start from 2014 with a 5-1 triumph over Warren Wilson (Sept. 1) and a 1-0 setback at Meredith four days later. The team responded by putting together a program-record 14-match winning streak, which began with a 10-0 victory over Hollins on September 6th.
Salem would eclipse double-digit goals on three occasions, including a single-match season-high 12 in the opening round of the Great South Athletic Conference Tournament against Mary Mount on November 6th. Salem's final win of the season came against Mills (3-0) in the tournament, but the season came to a close with a 0-0 double overtime loss to UC-Santa Cruz on November 8th.
The ninth year of Callahan's tenure, 2016, resulted in the Spirits equaling the program record in overall wins (18), home wins (10) and establishing a new mark for conference victories (12). In that season, which marked the first in the USA South Conference, Salem managed 63 goals, tied for fourth-most in program history, fourth-most shots (410), fourth-most shots on goal (234), second-fewest goals allowed (nine) and the program's lowest goals against average (0.42).
The 2016 team opened the season with a 5-0 mark, capped off by a 2-1 double overtime victory at Maryville, before losing to Covenant (1-0) and tying Piedmont (0-0) in succession. They responded to the challenge by putting together a 13-match winning streak, which began against Agnes Scott (Sept. 24), in which Salem outscored its opposition 95-4. The final win of that streak (3-2) came in double overtime against Methodist in the USA South Conference Tournament. Piedmont halted the Salem winning streak in the tournament finals with a 2-1 victory.
Callahan's final season at the helm came in 2017, where the team finished 13-4-0, winning six matches on the road and six at Varsity Field. The Spirits managed an eight-match winning streak that season from September 23rd through October 11th, picking up five of its total six USA South Conference victories along the way. After ending the regular season with a road setback at N.C. Wesleyan and a 4-0 win at home against Averett, Salem was tripped up by Methodist (4-2) in its first match of the USA South Tournament.
Callahan, who now serves as an Executive Director at the Down Syndrome Association of Greater Winston-Salem, reflects on his time at Salem by saying "I was also lucky to have a great relationship with the Salem Admission's Department. Recruiting great student-athletes started with having a great relationship with Admissions. I was lucky to have Kathy Barnes and Katherine Watts to help in my recruiting process. I was also fortunate to coach student-athletes from twenty-nine different states during my time at Salem.
"We always knew that if a student-athlete was a strong enough student to get into Salem that they would be a tremendous addition to our program," added Callahan. "Our big sell to get a student-athlete to commit was having them on Salem's beautiful campus, letting them meet the current team, and giving them a tour of Winston-Salem.
"Recruiting was always one of my favorite parts of coaching at Salem," described Callahan. "Landing a recruit was as exciting as winning games. There were way too many student-athletes in our program that I was proud to coach and that I am still proud of to this day as they have grown into incredible women to name just a few. Several of the Salem soccer alumnae still come into town annually and it is great to see them, remember Salem days, and catch up with them each year."
SAUNDERS NAMED HEAD COACH AT SALEM
Octavia "Ocky" Saunders was named as the head coach of the Salem College soccer program on July 25, 2018, ushering in a change for the program.
In her first season on the sidelines, Saunders guided Salem to a 7-12 overall record, which included key USA South Conference victories against Meredith, N.C. Wesleyan, Methodist and William Peace. The Spirits, who posted five home wins during the slate, reached the first round of the USA South Conference tournament before bowing out to Covenant on Oct. 27.
Saunders wrapped up a solid 2019 season with a 12-6-1 mark, posting the best winning percentage (.631) of any coach in the first two years of their career in Salem soccer history. She guided the 2019 unit to the 10th-most goals (40) in a single-season in program history.
With Saunders manning the sidelines, Salem won six road games in 2019, tying the 2013 and 2017 units for third-most in a single-season. The Spirits reached the USA South Conference Semifinals after posting a 2-0 win over Piedmont on Nov. 2.
Among the numerous standout performers under Saunders was Hannah Wagner, who owns the distinction as being the Salem goalkeeper with the most minutes in net (5256:42), saves (279) and wins (32) in her Spirits career.
Wagner earned her bachelor of science degree in exercise science with a minor in coaching from Salem in May 2020. Earlier this week she was accepted into a program at Campbell University that will allow her to pursue a career as a Physician's Assistant.
For anyone that only saw Hannah Wagner on game day, they got a stoic individual that was ready to compete. However, when she was walking around the Salem Athletic Facility she was smiling, jovial and always had an upbeat personality towards staff and her teammates alike.
She describes her experience at Salem saying that she got to be "a part of something bigger than myself, always having the opportunity to make a difference while playing the game I love. Also telling Ocky I forgot my contacts before the semi-finals game during playoffs my senior year. I'll never forget her face, epic."
Furthermore, Wagner was active in her campus community and always striving to make a lasting impact on her alma mater. She endured a number of obstacles throughout her time at Salem, including a coaching change in soccer and the final months of her college days being spent away from campus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, despite those obstacles, Wagner provides sound advice to future Salem student-athletes. "Don't choose a school, job, or activity because of a coach or person," said Wagner. "Make your choice based on what's best for you and the opportunities provided that give you the chance to be the best version of yourself. I originally chose to go to Salem based on the coach. Once that coach was no longer there I had a choice to make, to stay or go. I chose to stay and found that Salem was the perfect place for me.
"I became the best version of myself and was excelling academically, athletically, mentally and physically," continued Wagner. "Given the opportunity, you can truly do amazing things, but don't base it on someone else always being there. Do it for you." Now, as she makes a transition into a new phase of her life and professional career, she reflects on Salem by saying "trust the process, as I was one of the last students to get accepted, trusting the process and believing in yourself and those around you, despite knowing the end goal."
Wagner anchored the Salem defense with 117 saves (.741 save percentage) in 2018, finishing with a pair of shutouts along the way. The following season she emerged with 66 saves (.846 save percentage), claimed eight wins in net and was a part of five total shutouts for the Spirits. In total, the Wilmington, N.C., native posted 22 shutouts in her four-year Salem career, also a program best.
"I had my time and set my records, I can only hope Salem is fortunate enough to have athlete's to follow that are just as eager to break the records I set," said Wagner of her records. "I hope they can learn from how I achieved them and proceed to do the same. The record will always be there and no one can take away the feeling of knowing I broke my own record.
"However, the record for most career saves is the one that I cherish," continued Wagner. We were at Lynchburg, losing by more than you could imagine, and the announcers stated that I had just broke my own career saves record. All this was despite only have enough players for a starting line-up without backup keeper and my entire body being broken I was still making progress and setting records."
While Wagner was making stops in net, teammate Ellie Montes was driving 25 goals past the opposition, ranking her with the eighth-most goals in program history. Montes also finished her career ranked second in shots on goal (116), fourth in shots (191), tied for sixth-most in game-winning goals (seven) and ninth in points (59), by virtue of nine assists.
Alyssa Denkovich was also a key part of the offensive attack with 17 assists, sixth-most in Salem history, and 57 shots on goal which is 13th-most at Salem. Another integral part of the Salem program under Saunders was Courtney Chaplin, who drove home three penalty kicks, third-most in Salem history, scored nine goals and was instrumental in the Spirits' defense that allowed the team to win eight of nine matches from October 1 through November 2, 2019. Six of those wins came in succession for Salem, which reached the USA South Tournament Semifinals at Maryville on November 8th.
RAMIREZ ERA BEGINS FOR SALEM SOCCER
Robin Ramirez was named the program's third head soccer coach on Monday, August 2, 2021, after Saunders departure to advance her career in the coaching ranks.
Ramirez concluded his first year at Salem with a 7-10-1 overall record, winning three games against USA South Conference opposition along the way. He took over the reins of a program that had not taken the field since 2020, missing the entire 2021 campaign due to the COVID-19 pandemic. His seven victories equaled the win totals of his predecessors—Callahan and Saunders—in their first season as well. His 2021 unit established the program record for most single-season saves (135) and tied the 2008 unit for 11th-most goals (35) in program history.
Ramirez claimed his first win at Salem by defeating Warren Wilson 9-0 on September 1st in Swannanoa, N.C. Three days later, the Spirits posted an 8-0 victory over Agnes Scott, improving the season to 2-0. Ramirez guided Salem to shutout wins over Sweet Briar (2-0) and Greensboro (1-0) in the first month of play. October's first win also came in shutout fashion, 1-0, when Salem defeated Pfeiffer in USA South Conference action. The season concluded on October 23rd with a 3-2 overtime win over William Peace, when senior Ellie Montes drove home a Baylee Greenwood pass for the game-winning goal in the 102nd-minute.
A product of the Bay Area of San Francisco and lifelong 49ers fan, Ramirez is more than familiar with the coaching ideologies and philosophies of the aforementioned Walsh. It is well-documented that Walsh was a perfectionist when it came to running his West Coast offensive schemes. Among those that were the focal point of Walsh's attention for the 49ers was quarterback Joe Montana. Walsh constantly worked with Montana in practice to develop one of the NFL's best players into making consistent moves in the offense and instill a smooth decision-making ability.
"During practice sessions and games we try to stay consistent with our warm up exercises and following a game our cool down routine," said Ramirez. "This consistency helps the mind focus on what we are looking to accomplish whether it be the practice session or on game day. After every game, each player has a foam roller and we have a foam roll routine we follow. This time is good for the student-athlete to take some time and focus on injury prevention and taking care of themselves after a 90-minute game.
"During practices, there isn't one specific 'go to' repetitive exercise although some Rondo exercises we do may look similar, but by giving players the opportunity of having many touches on the ball in different settings, I hope to help our student-athletes with many of the repetitive movements and moments they will see during a game," continued Ramirez. "A big thing I learned from other coaches, when I first began coaching, was to give players many chances to make 'mistakes' in practice and to allow them through repetitions to work through them. This builds confidence that on game day if a player finds themselves in a similar position, they will succeed because they've worked on it and seen it during practice!"
For the last 15 years, Salem soccer's culture has bred success both on the field and in the classroom. The coaches that have built this program have earned it 166 total wins and 69 conference wins. The tireless efforts of these three individuals, along with the student-athletes themselves, has definitely made Salem soccer a force in the state, USA South and Southeast both in the past and for the foreseeable future.
ADDITIONAL EXCERPTS FROM INTERVIEWS
Name (including maiden name): Sawyer Ferguson
Sport(s) played: Soccer, Track & Field
Year of Graduation: 2015
Degree(s) Earned: Bachelor of Science in biochemistry with a mathematics minor
Who was the teammate or coach that inspired you the most while playing at Salem? Jay Callahan for sure. He was the most dedicated and educated coach I've ever experienced and he took care of his players like non other. I appreciate him immensely.
What advice did you receive while playing at Salem that you apply to the course of your everyday life? Never have regrets. Treat everyone with respect even if it's not deserved at that moment. Be truthful. Work hard. Be humble.
I know these are heard on a day to day basis, but it was not until I went to Salem for four years that I realized they are real.
Your success on the field is well documented. Describe your mentality when you took the field to play a sport that you were obviously so successful at? My mentality, as with all things in life including education, was GO, GO, GO. I would actually try to find things to fuel my inner fire. Everyone that has drive, knows what I mean by this. Whether that's anger, passion, etc. you use that to get you through every game.
Name: Jay Callahan
Title: Head Coach (2008-2017)
What did your team learn in your conference setback Agnes Scott in 2012 that they took into 2013? We tied Agnes Scott in the championship game, which we dominated in all aspects but the scoreboard. Unfortunately, even though we won the regular season, Agnes Scott was able to host the tournament, which was a big factor. Losing in a shootout in the championship game always hurts, but it makes the team even hungrier for the next year. After that game, we completely dominated the Great South for the next three years.
When you look back on your time at Salem and how the program has managed to maintain the success that it has, how much pride do you take in this process? Some of my favorite memories in life happened at Salem. I was able to coach Salem teams to several championships, but also take trips to Italy, Costa Rica, and Spain to coach Salem teams. All three of those trips were incredibly exciting. The great student-athletes I was very lucky to coach are a huge part of my life. I coached at Salem when I got married and had my first two children. Some of the first people at the hospital when we had our daughter, McKinley, were Salem soccer players.
By my last couple years, we were a NCAA DIII Regionally ranked program. We were going to overtime with recent national champions like Lynchburg and could play with anyone in the South.
Along with a great coaching staff, admissions office and student-athletes, I was able to greatly enjoy my time at Salem with a great coaching staff that I was able to work with. I enjoyed all of the coaches I worked with, but still consider myself close with Scott Long (softball), Kevin Troup (volleyball), Jamie Williams (cross country) and Britni Mohney (basketball). I was also very lucky to work for Kim Fierke, Betsy Pryor, and Melissa Barrett and to have Eddie Stevens to look over my team for all of the years we worked at Salem together. I am still close with all of my assistants, and even get to coach against Thomas these days and continue to watch him grow as a coach.
As my former student-athletes grow in their careers and with families, I can always proudly say that I got to go to war with them on the soccer field. The relationships I developed at Salem are more important to me than any championship we won.
Name (including maiden name): Hannah Marie Wagner
Sport(s) played: Soccer
Year of Graduation: 2020
Degree(s) Earned: Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science with a minor in Coaching
What advice would you give to student-athletes interested in playing at Salem? It is what you make it, there are more opportunities than you expect to meet people in Winston. The sport, school, life balance gives you the opportunity to truly find yourself and your own passions. Also, you can always choose to not play your sport, but you can't choose to not play and then go back. Take the chance.
What moment did you share/experience with a teammate(s) at Salem that bonded the team forever that season? The entire team line dancing to Copperhead Road before every game.
Your success on the field is well documented. Describe your mentality when you took the field to play a sport that you were obviously so successful at?
There were always two things I reminded myself of...
1. There's always someone better, faster, stronger, and more athletic. Stay humble.
2. No matter if I am starting the game, playing second half, on the bench, or hurt on the side. What can I do today that makes a difference to those around me?
Know my role, embrace it, and be a role model for those around me. Set an example and teach others how to be the best they can.
As a two-year captain and freshman RA, this was the most valuable advice I could give anyone. Know your role. You are important to the team. When given the opportunity take it. Embrace it. Be the best you can on and off the field, your time will come, but how you present yourself on the sideline, when you aren't on the starting lineup, that's where you can make the most impact and difference in the team dynamic. You are on the team for a reason, you are a good athlete, never forget that but don't lose sight of the team goal to achieve and win together. Support each-other. Know your role and kill it! Don't give up.