By Joseph Cyr
Sports Editor
CARIBOU — After 11 years coaching Caribou boys soccer teams, Mark Shea is stepping down.
Citing a desire to spend more time with his family, which includes three young children whom he hopes to coach in youth sports, Shea submitted his resignation Nov. 29.
“It was an extremely tough decision for me to make,” Shea said. “Coaching requires a big commitment and I have put my heart and soul into this team.”
The Vikings made the playoffs for 10 consecutive seasons, before falling short this past fall in what was a rebuilding year for the program. Shea said his team’s record was in no way an indicator in his decision to leave the Vikings.
“This was a decision that I made during the season, but I kept it to myself,” he said. “Is it something I will miss? Absolutely. But I truly believe this is the right thing for me to do at this point in time.
Shea, a graduate of Lawrence High School and the University of Maine at Presque Isle, got started with the Vikings as a junior varsity coach in 1999. In 2000, he took over as co-varsity coach, with Athletic Director Dave Wakana assisting with the team. He became the sole varsity coach the following year.
In 2000, the Vikings won their first boys soccer playoff and in 2001 the team advanced to the Eastern Class A championship game.
Shea said there were three things that were most important to him — his family, his job and soccer.
“Unfortunately, those three things don’t always fall in that order,” he said.
His three children — Hope, age 10; Edie, age 7; and Jude, age 5 — are all active in sports, especially soccer.
“All three of my kids are going to need a coach in the next few years and that wouldn’t be possible if I was doing the high school team,” he said. “I’ve always been coaching someone else’s children. I don’t want to miss the chance to coach my own kids.”
