Yesterday, Kevin Peveler was introduced as the new girls’ soccer head coach for Apollo High School, replacing Zach Akin, who recently stepped down after three seasons.
”I am taking over a program from Coach Akin that was well-positioned,” Peveler said. “The girls made great strides last year, and I am fortunate to come in and work with them. I have already been taught some of the fundamentals of how to play the game. We will continue to expand upon that and see if we can reproduce the success they had last year, and hope to get back to the region.”
Peveler’s coaching career started in 2003 with youth soccer. In 2006, he transitioned to coaching for the Owensboro United Soccer Club, covering multiple age groups for both boys and girls. In 2013, he spent a season as the JV assistant coach for Daviess County. That same season, he was on the varsity sideline, learning under David Sandifer. A year later, he became the assistant coach for the Indiana Fire Junior boys’ team for four years.
Peveler joined Apollo High School in 2020 as a teacher, currently teaching chemistry, and two years later, he became the school’s swim and dive coach. Peveler has spent most of his soccer coaching career at the club ranks, and this will be his first head coaching position at the high school level.
“It is kind of a double-edged sword,” Peveler said. “It is nerve-wracking because I know what these young ladies were capable of last year, and I want to make sure we grow that and don’t go backwards. That is the biggest challenge for me. …I appreciate that the administration at Apollo has enough faith in me to take this on.”
While Peveler wants his team to take the next step, he wants his team to look back on their high school experience with great memories.
“I want the girls to learn to understand what it takes and what hard work looks like,” Peveler said. “To understand it is a team sport, supporting one another, and that it is not always about the outcome, but instead the effort you put in. …I want those girls to learn that the harder you work, the more you put into it, if you are committed to it you can get positive outcomes. I just want them to have a good experience.”
