Stroudsburg Girls’ Soccer received its newest head coach, Haley Skove, after former coach Douglas Batt resigned. Coach Skove has been coaching soccer for three years now. She officially started in the HEX Football Club Keystone, and she now has the opportunity to coach at Stroudsburg High School.
“I became a soccer coach because I wanted the opportunity to build something special at Stroudsburg. I saw the potential to not only grow a strong program but also to help shape young female athletes into confident leaders, on and off the field,” says coach Skove about her reason for becoming a coach.
Coach Skove grew up in New Jersey, where she attended Notre Dame Catholic High School. She went on to play soccer for four years at the high school level and continued at the Division 2 level of college soccer at East Stroudsburg University.
“It was truly the best experience,” says Skove, “and I couldn’t have asked for anything else.” Skove also expresses that she was missing a piece of herself after graduating from college.
“I needed to find that missing piece that soccer once filled,” Skove states, “I didn’t think coaching would become a passion of mine. I truly can’t imagine not being a coach now and helping my players grow every day.”
This 2025-2026 season, Skove plans to make a team that is consistent, disciplined, and develops an effective style of play on the field.
“Wins are important, but my real focus is on growth and laying the foundation for long-term success,” Skove says about her goals for this year.
She believes in hard work and progress; she knows that the valley teams are typically hard opponents to beat. But Skove has faith in her team and is confident that they can produce against even the toughest teams.
“Valley teams are hard, but it doesn’t mean we can’t put up a fight and make a statement,” Skove says, “I want my girls to work hard every game, no matter who we are playing. It is okay to lose, but it’s not okay to lose if we don’t put forth effort.”
Skove has a new slogan for the season: “Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.” She explains that she is a family-oriented person, and she wants her team to be tight-knit.
“It’s about sticking together, having each other’s backs and lifting one another up,” says Skove, “That’s the culture I want here. A team that acts like family on and off the field.”