Aileen and Rycke Guiney were involved in soccer long before they became co-coaches of the girls’ varsity soccer team.

“Soccer is both of our favorite sports. Our dad coached us growing up, separately because of our age difference,” coach Aileen said.
The pair both had coaching jobs during college, and seized the opportunity to return to it and work together.

For the first time in a while Rycke and Guiney were living together, and decided to coach together.
“It works because, you know, philosophically we’re aligned, right? Like, we came from the same place as players,” Coach Aileen said, “It’s about a competitive environment, but culture first.”

Sophomore Sofia Johnson feels this reflected in their practices, “They like to make it comfortable and push us to be our best selves every day,” she said. Not only do their coaching philosophies coincide, their personalities work together. “We’re really different people,” coach Aileen said.

“Any team, you benefit when you have people that, you know, bring diverse experiences and different personalities. And so I wouldn’t want us to be the same. It’s good that we’re different, and I think the kids benefit from it,” she said.

There’s also a necessary respect between the two, not just as sisters but as soccer coaches. “I got to watch her, and I got to see her as a soccer player, and so just like the respect I had of my coaches, I have the respect of her,” said coach Rycke.

Their sibling relationship allows them to develop their coaching through their comfort in one another.

“They’re so comfortable with each other that they also do hold each other to a high standard for coaching as well, like on the sidelines at games and stuff, they bounce ideas off of each other,” Johnson said.

Coaches Aileen and Rycke hadn’t gotten to work together before coaching together at SPA, and with a 10 year age difference and after time spent living in separate states, they were excited by the opportunity. The two foster a supportive environment.

“Them being sisters makes the team have a really fun dynamic,” Sampsell-Jones said.

Following up, Johnson said, “It makes it feel like more of a safe space with them being sisters. … I think that also makes for a fun and silly environment.”

Aileen and Rycke coaching together provides a way to spend time with one another and allows them to connect to their soccer past.

“We’re here for the fun,” Coach Aileen said. “We love hanging out, so it’s a no-brainer. Like, we get to be doing our favorite thing, outside, with each other.”