NMMI Sports Press
Colt Soccer head coach John Barbour waited a long time to win his first blue trophy and the accolades keep rolling in.
Barbour was named state coach of the year for small public schools by the United Soccer Coaches in January and was recently named the USC Regional Coach of the Year for small public schools in the Far West region for the 2023 fall season.
United Soccer Coaches, the world’s largest soccer coaches’ organization serving all levels of play, honors players and coaches each year at the state, regional and national level. Six small school coaches are recognized regionally for the fall season.
After falling short in the title game in ’19 and ’21, Colt Soccer captured its first state championship in November with an experienced team loaded with senior leadership that went 18-3. The three losses occurred within 10 days in September. After that, the Colts rattled off 13 straight, including a three-game run through the playoffs where they outscored their opponents 11-3.
“From the early stages of the season this team bought in and worked really hard together as a group,” Barbour said. “We finished well, especially in the later stages of the year, which was something we didn’t do in those early losses. But the offense came around and we became a serious threat. I knew we’d be solid defensively, but our offense really turned it up.”
The Colts undisputed best player, senior David Portugal, was one of three midfielders named to USC’s 10-man All-Far West regional team. Portugal was the only New Mexico 3A player to make the squad that represents the entire western half of the country.
“David is a young man that can just take over a game,” said Barbour. “He can recognize the flow of the game and insert himself at the right moment. He did that for us, but also in the all-star game. Competing against the best in the state, he scored and had an assist.
“He was the perfect leader because he knew when to take over, and he knew how to settle everyone down when they were a little worried. He would tell you, ‘We’re good. We’re gonna win this,’ and we all believed him.”
Including Portugal, Colt Soccer had 12 varsity players that hail from Mexico, something that wouldn’t have been possible early in Barbour’s career before the New Mexico Activities Association changed their rule banning foreign players from competing at the varsity level.
“Having to tell anywhere from 12 to 25 kids every year, I’m sorry, you can’t play soccer because you’re not a U.S. citizen, and seeing the looks on their faces and the tears, and then later shedding a few tears myself. It was horrible,” said Barbour.
Luckily, NMMI superintendent Major General Jerry Grizzle, Ph. D. became aware of the situation and soon, the rule was changed and Colt Soccer had a whole new talent pool to work with.
“The General used his contacts and got the state legislature involved and did his part to get the rule overturned,” Barbour said. “I really can’t thank General Grizzle enough for what he’s done for the soccer program and for athletics at NMMI as a whole.”
Barbour had the first-hand experience of being an athlete at NMMI, playing as a senior on the high school team and then as a junior college freshman on the club squad coached by jack-of-all-trades coach Jan Olesinski.
After college, Barbour moved to Lubbock and kept playing in men’s leagues and eventually found his way back to Roswell. While volunteering his free time to help out Roswell High’s soccer team, his good friend and RHS head coach James Vernon told Barbour about the opening at NMMI in 2005, and the rest is history.
“We were not very good in the beginning, we had our ups and downs, but it’s been a fun journey,” said Barbour. “James has always been a dear friend, teammate and opponent. He got me into this and showed me how rewarding coaching can be. When you work with kids and see that lightbulb come on, the look when they get it…that’s what keeps you coming out.”
Barbour said he was lucky to once again have assistant coach Clyde Williamson, a longtime fixture in the Roswell coaching scene with years of experience guiding athletes in multiple sports.
“I was struggling to find an assistant this year and Clyde agreed to come back and I’m super thankful for his work this year,” said Barbour. “I don’t think we would’ve been as successful without Coach Williamson.”
Barbour also thanked his family and the families of his players for being on the sidelines at Stapp Field or when the Colts hit the road.
“My mother has always been there, at every match, as well as my fiancé, Shelley. We don’t have a lot of fans here, but it’s nice to know our biggest fans will always be there,” he said. “And we really can’t thank the players’ families enough for showing up, often making long trips to see us play.”
While Barbour has no plans to quite coaching anytime soon, he hopes that one day one of his former players might want to return and take the reins of Colt Soccer.
“A lot of our former athletes are still playing and hopefully some of them want to coach,” he said. “There are lots of great coaches out there, but I think it would be really fun and fitting to turn it over to someone that was a part of the program and experienced life at NMMI.”