When activities director Tyler Siecke announced a new Blair High School boys soccer coach last August, he noted Peter Massa's nearly three decades of experience leading prep athletes.
A good chunk of those years, from 2010 to 2019, were spent as a BHS girls assistant.
Before Massa took the job to return to the Bears, though, he hadn't yet intended on coaching for awhile. The opening left by Curt Scott after four years, however, piqued his interest and fast-forwarded his desire to do just that.
“So, I talked to my wife, of course,” he said Tuesday morning. “She said, 'Go for it. This is what you love to do.'”
It is.
“Really, it was the opportunity to interact with the guys,” Massa said, explaining his decision to lead the boys' program alongside assistants Kadan English, Gabe Zurek and Bill Kesling. “I love to train players. That's really what I'm into.”
Blair officially started preseason practice this week in accordance with NSAA rules. On Tuesday, the Bears worked indoors at Otte Blair Middle School. The session started at 6 a.m. with Massa noting how he woke up at 3 a.m. out of excitement, having trouble getting back to sleep.
BHS returns five starters from last season's 8-8 campaign. Luke Donner, Eli Belsky, Isaac Field, Alex Just and Victor Hernandez are all back with eight more returning letter winners on the roster.
Massa said the Bears are getting into training as quick as possible with their March 22 opener at Lincoln Northwest looming. At the end of practice, he asked his players to put in some of their own time into conditioning with English and Zurek handling voluntary offseason sessions prior to Monday's first practice.
Specific technique and skill work starts Saturday with a practice mantra on each of the player's shirts Tuesday morning. It read, “Work smart. Improve. Repeat.”
“I believe in continual improvement,” Massa said.
The coach is setting the mindset with his team as it moves forward toward a new campaign.
“I'm excited for the season. We've got a great group,” Massa said. “I haven't run into anyone who acts like they don't want to progress and learn. That's great.”
He said he's thankful for a supportive parent group as well as the local youth soccer club, who've all contributed to a positive start to his return to BHS.
First 5 BHS Soccer Games
March 22: At Lincoln Northwest, 10 a.m.
March 24: Waverly, 7:30 p.m.
March 27: At Platteview, 7 p.m.
March 29: At Hastings, 6 p.m.
March 31: Elkhorn North, 7:30 p.m.
