Boys’ soccer and lacrosse and girls’ soccer and swim and dive teams get new leadership

Four Minnetonka High School athletic teams including boys’and girls’ soccer, girls’ swim and dive and boys’ lacrosse will have new head coaches for the upcoming seasons. The new coaches are:
• Boys’ Soccer – Mike Rogers
• Girls’ Soccer – Jeff Hopkins
• Girls’ Swim and Dive – Gillian McNeal
• Boys’ Lacrosse – Aaron Olivier

All four bring with them extensive coaching experience and familiarity with both the school and the teams they will coach.

“I’m really excited about all four hires,” said Assistant Principal for Student Activities John Hedstrom. “They’ve all been involved in Minnetonka sports previously, so they bring a lot of knowledge and experience. I know they are going to take the solid athletic programs we already have and continue to develop great teams and great athletes. I’m looking forward to tremendous upcoming seasons.”

Jeff Hopkins, Girls’ Soccer
Formerly the head boys’ soccer coach, Jeff Hopkins is excited to face a new challenge – coaching the girls’ team. Hopkins coached the boys’ team for four years and brings extensive coaching experience to Minnetonka High School. Prior to his positions at Minnetonka, he coached the University of Wisconsin River Falls women’s team, was assistant boys’ coach at Henry Sibley High School and spent time as full-time professional coach for a club in the Chicago area.

Hopkins has a lot of playing experience as well. He was an All-Conference, All-State, soccer captain at Hastings High School. Then he attended college at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh where he played soccer for four years and helped lead the team to three national tournament appearances in a strong Division III program.

Hopkins is eager to build on the success the Minnetonka High School girls’ team has already had. “We have a lot of strong returning players this year,” said Hopkins. “Now we just need to put them together on the field. I think we’re going to take this team to new levels.”

Hopkins lives in Shakopee with his wife Sara and one-year-old son Cooper. He teaches physical education at Ridgeview Elementary School in Bloomington.

Gillian McNeal, Girls’ Swim and Dive
New Minnetonka Head Girls’ Swim and Dive Coach Gillian McNeal was previously the assistant coach for four years. She brings extensive coaching and years of competitive swimming experience to this position.

McNeal swam competitively for 13 years, six of those at Minnetonka High School where she was team captain her senior year. She has more than eight years of coaching experience having worked with swim teams at Apple Valley and Hopkins High Schools as well as a USS Club team. McNeal also coaches swim at Wayzata Country Club, which she has done for five years.

McNeal is looking forward to the upcoming season and the last year in the Minnetonka Middle School West swimming pool before the completion of the pool upgrade at Minnetonka Middle School East. “This should be an exciting season,” said McNeal. “It’s really the end of an era – we hope to leave the old pool with a lot of records. We have a completely new team this year, so I’m eager to see the new talent.”

In her time away from the pool, McNeal is an English teacher at Shakopee Junior High School. McNeal’s father works at Scenic Heights Elementary School and her two younger brothers are recent Minnetonka High School graduates.

Aaron Olivier, Boys’ Lacrosse
New Head Boys’ Lacrosse Coach Aaron Olivier was assistant coach for two years. Prior to that, he consulted for youth and high school teams.

Olivier brings tremendous experience as a player to Minnetonka. After playing on one of the first Minnesota High School lacrosse teams at Hopkins High School, he played four years at the University of Minnesota Duluth, where he was a two-year captain. Currently, Olivier plays midfield for the Minnesota Lakers Twin Cities club team, which he has been part of for seven years.

Olivier has great expectations for the upcoming 2009 season. “We have a strong, senior heavy team with several returning All-Conference and All-State players,” said Olivier. “I think we should make a really solid run at advancing to state this year.”

When he’s not on the lacrosse field, Olivier is in the classroom teaching eighth grade U.S. and Minnesota History at Minnetonka Middle School West.

Mike Rogers, Boys’ Soccer
Former Assistant Boys’ Soccer Coach Mike Rogers is looking forward to his first season as head coach of the team. Rogers assisted under Head Coach Jeff Hopkins for four years.

“Jeff has done a wonderful job. Now I look forward to taking the baton and moving the team to the next level,” said Rogers. “Our mission is to be a highly competitive team this fall.”

Originally, from the Chicago area, Rogers is a former high school All-American. He also played soccer in college at the University of Virginia where he led the team in scoring and was captain his senior year. If not for an injury, Rogers had the opportunity to try out for the U.S. Olympic soccer team.

Outside of coaching, Rogers is a management consultant for small, emerging technology companies in the Twin Cities. Mike lives in Shorewood with his wife and has four daughters, all of which are Minnetonka High School graduates.