AUBURN — Rebecca Hefty knew it would probably be when  — not if — she made a return to high school coaching.

After stepping down as Edward Little’s girls’ track coach a few years ago, she took a break from the sport. She always wondered if a return might be inevitable.

Her theme for this spring’s outdoor track season at EL is to “believe in the journey,” and that trek began Monday with the Red Eddies’ first practice. Hefty met with the team and then ran them through a light workout to get the season started.

The EL boys’ finished 10th in the state meet last year, while the girls’ were 18th.

“I’m really excited to bring it back,” Hefty said. “I’m really excited to bring it back for these seniors. It’s the third coaching staff in four years. So the most important thing for me is that I want to build that success. We want them to believe in what it is we’re trying to do for them and to create one team, one success and one goal.”

Hefty had been with the program for over a decade prior to stepping down after the 2012 season. She had led the Red Eddies to seven conference titles and the 2009 state championship. She captured conference coach of the year honors seven times in addition to earning 2010 state coach of the year honors. 

“I needed a break,” Hefty said.  “A lot of times as coaches, we continue in the same sport, and we get tired. I was getting tired. I respect the sport too much to try to continue to push through it.”

Between a family that includes a husband and two children and joining the Bates College swimming program as a strength and conditioning assistant coach, Hefty filled her time away from track with other experiences. Over time, she recharged her batteries for the return to coaching varsity. The “mojo” she thought she might have lost slowly showed signs of a comeback.

“I think that’s where my whistle was wet again,” Hefty said about her coaching stint at Bates. “I said, ‘I’ve still got it.'”

She started to contemplate a return as early as last season. By the time the outdoor season ended last May, Hefty was wondering if this year might be a good time to return. The future of the coaching staff was uncertain, and when Hefty expressed interest in being part of the program again, it made for a natural transition.

“I think my confidence came back in the last two years,” Hefty said. “I realized what I love is coaching and teaching and mentoring and this brought me back to it.”

Hefty will be joined by Edward Little graduates Dawna Daigle, Kelly Philbrook and Nick Keene. Jamie Theriault is also part of the staff as a distance coach. The Red Eddies have about 95 to 100 athletes out between the two teams. When Hefty coached the program before, she coached the girls, while Ryan LaRoche oversaw the boys.

“It was always the men and the women, they were always separated, even though they practiced together,” Hefty said. “So Ryan and I always kept our teams separate. With KVACs, everything is done together. So it’s time to have a united front instead of keeping it separate.”

Hefty played a behind-the-scenes role with the indoor teams this winter. That was a good way to get involved in preparation for this spring. She admits she was anxious and even felt a little overwhelmed when she realized how much stuff she used to do before a season began. As Monday’s opening day drew closer, her excitement replaced her anxiety.

“I’ve been very fortunate to have a great support system and a great group of people that have encouraged me to keep going forward,” Hefty said. “Over the last two weeks, it started to become real again, and it started to come back to me.”

Paperwork for Lewiston

While weather likely forced most opening track practices indoors, Lewiston was already prepared for that scenario. The Blue Devils scheduled Monday as a day to handle the paperwork for interested athletes. Lewiston will have its true first practice Tuesday.

“We have about 140 kids,” Lewiston coach Paul Soracco said. “So this is how we have to do it. They’re all coming at once. We wouldn’t really be able to get a real good practice in the first day. You want to set the tone and be organized and have everything set and ready to go. We did this in the winter too, which works out much better. “

When the team tried to have practice on the first day, many kids showed up without the paperwork, meaning they couldn’t practice anyway. 

“It worked out for the best,” Soracco said as it poured rain outside.

The Lewiston boys won the state last spring while the girls’ finished third. Both Blue Devils teams will be contending again, but it will be a challenge to be as strong as last year. 

“Both boys’ and girls’ team should be vie for the KVAC championships,” Soracco said. “The girls have a shot at states if everything goes good. The boys do to if everything falls into place. They have just to make it happen.”

The Lewiston boys’ graduated consistent point-getters like Isaiah Harris and Hassan (Speedy) Mohamed. That leaves the Blue Devils boys’  looking to fill some significant voids in its lineup.

“We’ve got a solid team and hopefully we pick up two or three sleepers, some kids from different sports that can come in and make a difference,” Soracco said. “We don’t have the outstanding performers like Isaiah or Speedy. It’s more of a team, 10 points here and 10 points there.”

The fact that Lewiston continues to attract larger numbers is a positive. Soracco expects to have about 60 girls and 80 boys on the teams. That doesn’t include athletes that might get cut from other sports that might eventually  join the track teams.

“The kids are seeing what we’re doing and want to be part of it,” Soracco said.

kmills@sunjournal.com