Nation Ford hires two new coaches for fall sports

The Nation Ford Falcons will have two new head coaches taking over their girls’ tennis and cross-country programs this fall.

Nation Ford has hired Jason Byrne as coach for cross-country and Wendy Sharp to coach girls’ tennis.

Byrne teaches PE at Harrisburg Elementary School in Indian Land, but has been helping with the Springfield Middle School track program for the past two years.

“I have always been involved in coaching and distant running,” he said. “I have always been around it.”

Down here from Michigan, Byrne coached at the varsity level for seven years up North before moving to the area in 2009. Byrne ran in high school and some in community college in Michigan before graduating from Central Michigan University.

Byrne heard about the job opening and decided to throw his name in the hat. Now that he has the job, Byrne said he is looking to moving the program forward.

“We just want to create a culture of winning,” he said. “I want the athletes to know what it’s like to work hard.”

Sharp comes to Nation Ford as a first year coach. She is a kindergarten assistant at Tega Cay Elementary School.

A self-described military wife of 26 years, Sharp and her family moved to the area nine years ago, but she is familiar with the state.

She graduated from Spring Valley High School and could have gone to Coker College on a tennis scholarship, but decided to go to the University of South Carolina instead.

“My whole family grew up playing golf and tennis,” she said.

Sharp takes over for Ann Lamba, who coached the team for the past three seasons. Sharp said she is looking forward to getting to know the girls and wants them to learn to enjoy the sport.

“Tennis is a lifelong sport,” she said.

Both the girls’ tennis and cross-country teams start their seasons later this month.

This story was originally published August 11, 2015 at 5:10 PM with the headline "Nation Ford hires two new coaches for fall sports."