NTL GIRLS SOCCER: ATHENS' PITTS EXCITED TO GET STARTED AHEAD OF 2026 SEASON (14 PHOTOS) (August 20, 2026)

By TIM BIRNEY
Valley Sports Report
ATHENS — Longtime Athens girls soccer coach Rich Pitts is excited to get preparation for the 2026 season under way.

"It's fantastic to get back on the field with the girls," he said. "I always love this week, it's my favorite week of the year."

Pitts said his numbers are solid.

"We have 25," he said. "We have seven seniors, but we have 10 or 11 freshmen.

"It's a nice mix," Pitts added.

Pitts said the preseason focus has been on technique.
 
"These girls come in with some talent," he said. "The freshmen  have a good foundation and base, so we've just been fine-tuning our technique and how we want to play."

Pitts also has a pair of familiar faces on the sidelines helping out in former Wildcat and St. Bonaventure standouts Hannah Walker and Rachel Hutchison.

"Hutchison's been in all summer," said Pitts. "She did open sessions, and she's been here a little bit in the preseason.

"And, Hannah Walker is back, and we're really excited about her being here," noted Pitts. "She's been working a lot with the defenders because that's her forte, having played four years there at St. Bonaventure.

"They both offer a lot of insights," he added.

Pitts said it feels good to have former players back in the fold, noting Emma Roe, who has since moved, started the trend last year.
 
"It's nice," he said. "It makes you think, 'hey, you've done good as a coach, that you've built a culture where they want to come back.'

"Rachel and Hannah are really excited about it, too," noted Pitts. "They ran a session two days ago — Rachel an offensive session, and Hannah a defensive session. 

"We were able to use that as a foundation and work off of that," added Pitts. "It was great."

Pitts also noted that his team took a fitness test this year after a few years away from it.

"We did do a fitness test this year, which made the older girls happy," he laughed. "Hannah and Rachel were excited ... they had to do fitness test, so they thought it was only fair."

The Wildcats will scrimmage at Susquehanna Valley on Aug. 29, and host Elmira on Aug. 31.

Athens opens its season Sept. 2 at Northeast Bradford.

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IN PHOTO: Athens coach Rich Pitts. ... PHOTOS BY TIM BIRNEY.

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