Deluxe Dynasty

January 1, 1999 – the last year before a new millennium begins
January 12 – Britney Spears releases her debut album…Baby One More Time
January 13 – Michael Jordan announces his second retirement from the NBA
March 29 – UConn defied all the odds as they defeated Duke for the NCAA mens basketball championship
April 18 – Wayne Gretzky plays his final National Hockey League game
May 3 – An F5 tornado, the second strongest ever recorded, slams into Oklahoma
June 1 – Napster debuts
June 12 – Texas Governor George W. Bush announces he will run for the presidency

One more key date for 1999….May 8…Bishop Kelley Girls Soccer team wins their first state championship.

Fast forward to Spring 2008….

The girls soccer program at Bishop Kelley opened their season as defending state champions, which is not something new. They’ve opened their season as defending state champions each year since 1999. They’ve won an unprecedented ten straight state titles.  Only four programs in the state have topped that achievement. Those were the storied girls track team from OKC’s John Marshall 1976-89 (14), girls cross country from Bishop McGuinness 1992-2002 (11), El Reno wrestling team 1996-2006 (11) and Perry wrestling 1971-1981 (11).

This team doesn’t live in the past however. Of course the tradition that has preceded the current group of Comets is something they are certainly aware of.  Just don’t count on them dwelling on it. That goes for their head coach too.

Troy Tokarchik has received national recognition for his efforts on the field and in the classroom since he started at Bishop Kelley. Since his arrival in 2000 he has won acclaim as a math educator as well as been awarded National Coach of the Year honors from the National Soccer Coaches of America Association in 2004. He knows that type of recognition is reflective of the tremendous group of athletes he is fortunate to work with.

“Those things don’t happen without the players. They are the ones that make it possible.  I just enjoy working with them because each year new opportunities and challenges emerge. They keep it fun.”

When asked if players are mindful of the legacy of great soccer teams from the past, Tokarchik says “it’s rarely mentioned. It’s not fair to compare teams. Each season is the same and each is different. It’s the same because every year, you’ll have a group of seniors who have helped build the program to where it is. You’ll have groups of underclassmen develop and you’ll have a brand new slate of freshmen. There will always be injuries and adversity that we face. That is the same for each team each year. It’s different though because every group of girls is dynamic and unique and that keeps it fresh.”

To Tokarchik and the Comets, state championships are not the defining measure of a season’s accomplishments. “When we look back during our end of season banquet, we recognize so many different story lines that the girls write and how they contribute to our group’s success and how they progress as individuals. There is so much more to each of these girls than the public sees out on the field or in the sports page. They live life well in the classroom and in their relationships and they carry life lessons from sports into other areas besides just winning games.”

One of the ideas that the coach stresses with each team is the challenge to leave the program in a better position than it was when they arrived. “Obviously, that is difficult to do, but it’s still a challenge we talk about and if they do all they can to improve things in their life, they will be successful at anything they encounter. There are 360-degrees to this program and it influences younger players and older players, the student body and their family. If they learn to live their life with others in mind and to look back with no regrets, they’re going to do great things.”

That drive and motivation to constantly improve is there and this team and coach are aware of how complacency can make a difference.

“We know we will always get each teams’ best effort. We have to be our own support system.” To illustrate this point recently, he used the Super Bowl as an example. “I asked them how many had been cheering for the Giants to beat the Patriots and all but a couple of them raised their hand. I told them that’s how it is for us. We have to be ready each time we step on the field because people are waiting for us to make a mistake.”

Regardless of wins and losses at the end of the season or whether or not the streak continues, Tokarchik wants his players to be prepared for life. “Even if womens professional soccer returns to the U. S., most athletes in high school will never play at that level, but if they can learn how to work hard towards a goal and pull together for a common cause, I’ll be pleased with the result.”