THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Wednesday, May 1, 1996                 TAG: 9604300140
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON    PAGE: 26   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, BEACON SPORTS EDITOR 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   48 lines

COACHES PERPETUATE WINNING TRADITION EX-COACH SEES 4 OF HIS PLAYERS TAKE ON THE JOB

With four of his former players serving as head soccer coaches in the Beach District, Bill Varga's influence is still being felt even though he left high school coaching nearly 10 years ago.

Seeing the ex-Stallions on the sidelines leaves Varga with a strong sense of pride.

``Oh, absolutely,'' said the 44-year-old assistant principal at the Virginia Beach Technical Career Education Center. ``I'm real proud of every one of them. But to have four of them coaching back in the same school system is really special.

``These guys are carrying on a tradition.''

Varga coached Green Run from 1980 to 1987 and enjoyed considerable success with his high-skill, ball-control teams. He guided the Stallions to four district titles, three region titles and three state tournament appearances where the Stallions finished second twice.

Varga left to become an assistant principal at Princess Anne, where he spent two years before moving to Salem. He has been at the career center for the past four years.

Although he coaches his sons in soccer and officiates swimming, Varga admits that he still misses the high school scene.

``I'm still very much involved with athletics, but I miss coaching at the high school level,'' he said.

Varga, who also has competed in triathlons for the past five years, thinks soccer is the sport for today's and tomorrow's youth.

``I think it's the sport for the next century,'' he said. ``Any kid can play and size doesn't matter. It's great exercise. You work on the skills and then the team tactics and it becomes very fun to play.''

Varga keeps in touch with his former players-turned-coaches and has even watched their teams play a few times. And sometimes, he sees a little bit of himself in the way they do things or the way their teams play. ILLUSTRATION: Photo

Bill Varga is now assistant principal at Virginia Beach Technical

Career Education Center.

by CNB