Even though Chance Darling, Auburn’s new girls soccer head coach, grew up as a blue and gold Trojan instead of a green and gold one, the 2000 Fife High School graduate has deep Auburn roots.

“My mother and her whole family went to Auburn High School and have enjoyed many of our home games at, as she calls it, Troy Field,” Darling said.

Although it is now officially known as Auburn Memorial Stadium, and Auburn Riverside, Auburn Mountainview and Auburn high schools share it, Darling looks to rebuild a program that has only been to the state tournament twice, one of its appearances ending in a state title in 1982-1983.

“I am very excited about this opportunity at Auburn,” Darling said.

Darling grew up playing soccer at various levels, including varsity prep soccer with Fife and local club teams.

“I played for Fife, but had surgery on my knee during my senior year,” Darling said. “I was kind of plagued with injuries. I also played on several local premiere clubs around the area here and there.”

But the coaching bug bit early.

“I kind of started doing coach academy stuff when I was young, and it just kind of stuck,” he said. “When I got done with school, I coached my first young team. At times it’s been a full-time job, at times it’s been for fun, at times it’s been a part-time job. I’ve coached everyone from eight-year-old kids to college players, boys and girls.”

For the past 15 years he has coached throughout the Puget Sound region, including stints as girls head coach at White River High School, as a girls assistant at Fife, and as an assistant on the girls program at Pacific Lutheran University.

Darling coaches at the club level, too, currently with the Rainier Soccer Alliance in Puyallup.

“I love competition, so for me, coaching is a way to still be involved in all that,” Darling said. “And obviously, I love the ability to be able to affect a kid’s life through sports. Your role often becomes more than just a coach; it’s helping kids through life.”

Darling continued:

“It’s been a while since I coached high school,” Darling said. “I’ve been kind of looking to get back into it but wanted to wait for the right situation.”

It came about because of his friendship with Auburn boys soccer coach John Yorke, who also coaches the men’s program at Pacific Lutheran University.

“He told me it was open, I applied, and here I am,” Darling said.

Darling, who has attended several colleges since high school, including the University of San Diego, Seattle Pacific University and Western Governor’s University, said he hopes to earn his teaching certification this year and start teaching at Auburn High School.

On the pitch, given a roster stacked with underclassmen Darling said the definition of success has many meanings for the Trojan program this season.

“(What success means) for us at the varsity level here at Auburn is that winning is part of it,” Darling said. “It’s not all of it, but it’s a big part of it. You also want to grow a program, numbers-wise, from year to year. I think that’s success. Also, moving kids up from junior varsity to varsity year-to-year, that’s part of it, that’s successful. And at the end of the day, it’s about the kids enjoying themselves.

“I think we can get top-five and go to the playoffs,” Darling said. “When we started the season, that was our goal, top-five. It’s still our goal. Do I think that’s feasible? Absolutely. We play every game to win a championship.”