It might be hard to believe, but winning didn’t always come so easy for the St. Johns Country Day girls soccer program. In the early days, it was quite common for the Spartans to bow out in the second round of the playoffs. Prior to head coach Mike Pickett taking over the program in 1999, the Spartans had never been past the second round, which continued with Pickett as they fell in the same round five consecutive appearances (1997, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003) thanks to nemesis rivals Gainesville Oak Hall and Tallahassee Maclay.
“To be honest it was about changing the culture here,” Pickett said. “Before I got here, there were not any high expectations at all. They were satisfied with just getting to the playoffs and the second round. They didn’t even practice on Fridays.”
In his fifth year, a 6-0 win over Maclay in the first round was the spark the Spartans needed to end the streak, and they haven’t looked back since. Wins over Trinity Catholic and PK Yonge put the Spartans in their first Final Four, where they held off Lakeland Christian 4-2 and lost a 1-0 nail bitter to American Heritage in the title game. In 2005 the Spartans were back in the Final Four and avenged the previous year’s state title loss to American Heritage with a 2-1 win to win their first of many future state titles.
St. Johns (22-0-1) added to its trophy case again, winning the school’s eighth overall title last February with a 5-0 win over Naples Community School. Even more impressive is that the Spartans held all of their opponents scoreless, outscoring them 25-0 during their playoff run.
Pickett, 363-58-27 in 18 seasons, along with longtime assistant coach Brad Schmidt and assistant coach Cody Slaughter, have figured out the recipe of not only how to build a dynasty but also how to keep it going. Schmidt, who has been with Pickett 15 of the 18 years, along with Slaughter, who is in his fifth year, are both St. Johns grads and former boys soccer players. Slaughter was also a member of the last boys state soccer title team back in 2005.
“Having both Brad and Cody here has been a blessing, but that’s what we do here,” Pickett said. “A lot of our coaches are former students and athletes that come back.”
You would think that by building a dynasty perhaps players from nearby Orange Park and Ridgeview, both with struggling programs, would be knocking on the door to transfer to St. Johns, but that’s not the case.
“We have the advantage of having a middle school program, and 15 of the 22 on my current roster have been playing for me since sixth grade,” Pickett said. “All but one of the remaining seven kids have been playing here since ninth grade.”
Over the last five years, not one single kid has transferred in. In fact nearly all of his players come from Orange Park, Fleming Island, or Middleburg.
“Our success has drawn some of those kids to come visit and look at us, but nearly all of them can’t afford it,” Pickett said. “We don’t offer any scholarships and very little financial aid at all only if you qualify. It’s extremely difficult to get in here with such high academic standards.”
Pickett mentioned a pilot program he started with the elementary-aged kids that will also benefit his program.
“I started an after school soccer program for third through fifth graders, and we play against other small private schools in the spring,” Pickett said. “So now I will have girls who will have nine years of coaching underneath me.”
Winning five in a row might make some players complacent and have them thinking going to the Final Four every year comes automatically and is not earned. Pickett, however, has a plan for that every year.
“Over the last two weeks, I meet with every player and make them sign a one-year annual contract,” Pickett said. “We go over their weaknesses and strengths so they can work on their own or with their club team. They keep a signed copy, and I always bring that up to them that nothing comes easy.”
As proud as he is of the on-the-field accomplishments, he is even more overwhelmed by the off-field accomplishments. Several of this year’s seniors – including Payton Crews (TCU), Alisa Detlefsen (Troy), Abbey Newton (LSU), and Kirsten Pavlisko (FSU) – have already committed to major Division I-A schools, and when those four sign, that will increase the total to 27 former players who have signed college scholarships. A lot of his former players come back and help him with camps and clinics, including his own daughter Carson Pickett, a recent FSU grad and fourth-overall pick by the Seattle Reign.
“That’s a big motivation for the girls,” Pickett said. “Seeing one of their own make it to the professional ranks is huge. That helps more girls come out and (has) more (girls) playing.”
More girls coming out in sixth grade, and now third-grade, spells doom for opposing coaches, as Pickett will have up to nine years to coach them.
And as long as Pickett is there, St. Johns Country Day is going nowhere.
“I’ve thought about retiring a couple of times, but I guess I keep waiting for that special class,” Pickett said. “But, then, I say that nearly every year, and then I keep coming back.”
And that’s bad news for everyone in the area, specifically for American Heritage, Lakeland Christian, and everybody else in 1A, as the road to title number six has already begun.
Spartans Build Dynasty One Brick at a Time
Written by: Corey Davis
