Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Henry steps down as girls soccer coach for Bentonville
Kristina Henry knew the day would eventually come when she would step away as Bentonville High’s girls soccer coach and return to California.
That day came Monday as she announced her resignation, ending a 22year tenure with the Lady Tigers. She and her husband Bill will leave the area this summer and head for the San Diego area, where she played and coached before moving to Bentonville and immediately began coaching in 1998.
“I’ve been doing this for a long time,” Henry said. “I was doing this before I came to Bentonville. I told my husband one of these days that we would make it back to California. We’ve always had this 5-year plan, 3-year plan, 2-year plan.
“Coming into this year, it wasn’t the plan for this year to be my last year coaching or teaching. Some opportunities fell in place to make a move this year. We are in the middle of a pandemic, and we got an offer on our house here. Things moved quickly, so we said we were going to do it — rip the Band-Aid off and go.”
Soccer was so underdeveloped when Henry moved to Northwest Arkansas that she jokingly referred to the area as “soccer Siberia.” Bentonville did struggle as a team in Henry’s early coaching years, but that all changed in due time.
The Lady Tigers recorded more than 300 victories during Henry’s tenure, and Bentonville won seven state championships — which is tied with Harrison and Central Arkansas Christian for the most in Arkansas high school history. Her teams have also finished as the state runnerup three times, and the Lady Tigers had a string of 12 consecutive conference championships — 10 outright and 2 shared.
She also had the privilege of coaching four players who were named the Gatorade girls soccer player of the year in the state. The last two — Tayler Estrada and McKenzie Dixon — won the honor on more than one occasion.
“I think the process will be what I will remember the most,” Henry said. “I’m going to remember how the hard work paid off. There were a lot of early years when I would like at it and say ‘Man, this is hard.’
“I never want to say there was never a plan or a grand scheme, but progress happened. It was a great time, and I love these kids. I loved being here.”
Bentonville athletic director Chris Hutchen said the search he hopes to have a new coach in place as early as the May school board meeting, but it could be as late as June. He is confident that the job should attract a number of applicants throughout the state and possibly the region or nation.
“I think what made it more difficult for her is the way this season ended,” Hutchens said. “I think she was looking forward to finishing out the year. I think she and Bill have a plan, and it’s now the right time for them.
“Personally, I’m disappointed because she’s done such an outstanding job with the program. The wins and the championships, those are all great, but the way she mentors girls and the people in her program are what we will miss the most.”