After completing a stellar collegiate playing career and coaching one season at the middle school level, Madison Grande has been handed the reins of the White River High girls soccer program.

Grande had the opportunity to learn about her crew during the summer months but things took a more serious turn this week when official practice sessions began on the rural Buckley campus.

A graduate of Peninsula High and Northwest Nazarene University, Grande also has joined the staff as a physical education teacher at White River.

“One thing that stood out to me about this community is the strong support that it shows for its athletics,” Grande stated in an email to the Courier-Herald. “I want to continue to build on the expectations White River has for its student-athletes.

“After having the opportunity to work with many of the players this summer, I am excited about the talent, character, and dedication they have for the game.”

Grande said her coaching style can be described as “intense and purposeful” where expectations are high and players are enabled to give their best effort every day.

“Every practice and game has meaning,” she said, “and I want to create a culture where hard work and commitment lead to growth and success both on and off the field.”

Grande’s high school career was spent on the roster of the Peninsula Seahawks and her club soccer days saw her playing with Washington Premier 00 ECNL. That led to a one-year stint at Concordia University-Portland before she moved to Northwest Nazarene where she spent four successful seasons with the Nighthawks, starting 56 games and appearing in 65.

She departed NNU with her name prominently listed throughout the soccer program’s record book: she is tied for second in career goals, points and game-winning goals; in 2022 she led the Great Northern Athletic Conference in goals, goals per game and points per game. She was twice named to the GNAC’s all-league first team and was a second team pick one season, aside from earning multiple “offensive player of the week” awards and twice being named an All-West Coast Region player.

She spent last year coaching at Hawkins Middle School in Belfair.