It’s October of 2008. JJ Barnette walks onto the Rocklin High campus, soccer bag in hand, headed towards period 1. The only thing on his mind: playing in the section game. It’s now September of 2014. J.J. Barnette walks onto the Rocklin High campus headed towards his classroom. The only thing on his mind this year: coaching his team to make sections.

Following his graduation from Rocklin High, Barnette attended Sac State in hopes to get into teaching. Six years later, Mr. Grant Depue, a prominent figure in the RHS soccer community, took Barnette under his wing and offered him a student teaching job in the physical education department as well as a coaching job for the varsity soccer team.

This isn’t Barnette’s first rodeo with the Rocklin soccer program. Barnette, a Rocklin graduate in 2009, played soccer under coach Paul Morrison who now coaches the girls varsity team. Barnette helped his team reach the section championships for three consecutive years as a varsity player. The team won the 2008 sections during his junior year.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       “I know the atmosphere of the school, I know what’s expected of Rocklin since I graduated from the school, so its easy to tell the boys what I expect of them.”

The team enjoys being coached by someone who went through the program before and knows what does and doesn’t work. Junior Chad Medd respects the discipline Barnette has brought to the field this season.

“Because he’s young and an alumnae, we mess around with coach only when the time is right. But when it comes to practice and games, we respect him, or else theres a lot of running in store for us,” Chad said.

Chad particularly respects Barnette’s experience with the program as a player. His successes at Rocklin push the team to dream big.

As for Barnette’s hopes for the season: “It’s everybody’s goal to win another section championship, but besides that, just making the boys become better men and better people in general.”