FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS
Sandoval enjoys competition, her family

LISA SANDOVAL

Lisa Sandoval joins Jana McGoldrick and Cherry Downs as new head coaches for girls sports at Troup High School.

Sandoval takes over the helm of the girls softball program, as well as coaching cross country and middle school volleyball.

"This is the first year I haven't coached basketball. At first I didn't know what to do with myself," laughed Sandoval. Despite her love of competition, Sandoval found that getting to go home a little earlier during basketball season wasn't such a bad thing.

Sandoval arrives in Troup from the Sabine Lady Cardinal program, where her last two teams reached playoffs. The Lady Tigers finished 18-9 last year, earning a third-place district finish and a one-game postseason appearance.

With a good record, but the loss of key starters, it's early in the season to tell if this will be a building year for the team, though Sandoval says she has good athletes.

"I don't like to lose," she admits. "But I try to be a good sport because I know I have to teach them that."

Her competitive nature inspired the versatile high school athlete to be a coach. After taking time off from college when her first child was born, Sandoval finished at the University of Texas at Tyler the May before her youngest son started kindergarten.

She spent five years at Arp teaching elementary P.E., two years at T.K. Gorman teaching science and most recently seven years at Sabine, where she taught reading and had her first head coaching experience.

Sandoval knew John Eastman, Troup's athletic director, from when he was a coach at Gladewater and their schools were in the same district. She called about the coaching position out of curiosity and couldn't resist when Eastman said, "I'll hire you."

"I like it here," said Sandoval, "there's a real laid-back atmosphere." She is also enjoying the opportunity to spend more time with students outside the classroom, such as field trips.

Personally, Sandoval enjoys, reading, movies and "anything competitive." But mostly she enjoys spending time with her family.

"That's my main thing," said Sandoval, whose "extended" family includes four poodles, a cat, five Catahoulas and about 20 horses. "Whatever we're doing together is what I enjoy most."