Photo courtesy of Erin Napolitan Steffen Blair, center, discusses a play with an official. Blair takes over as Warren head boys soccer coach beginning this fall.

A player and later an assistant coach for Warren Area High School’s boys soccer team, Steffen Blair is now one of the few head coaches in the program’s history.

“I’ve been involved in coaching these boys year-round for five years now,” said Blair, 26, “so I’ve been able to take it in stride. I’m honored by the opportunity to continue to give back to a program that has meant a lot to me.”

A region all-star as a player for Warren, Blair graduated from WAHS in 2015. “I played at the club level during my time at the University of South Florida,” he said. “I started coaching with Denny (Flatt) for Colin’s (Blair) senior season in 2018. I’ve also coached for Kinzua (Soccer Club) in that same time frame and I’m currently coaching the PA Corporate Cup team with Chris (Darling).”

Flatt (head coach) and Darling (assistant coach) coached the Dragons to 83 wins over seven seasons prior to both stepping down after the 2022 season. This fall, Blair will take over with Justin Norris as assistant coach.

“I’ve always loved the game and had an interest in coaching, but what initially brought me back was to be around for my brother’s senior season,” said Steffen of Colin. “After that year, I wanted to continue coaching and had opportunities to do so outside of the area, but my wife and I made the decision to make Warren home and, for me, the opportunity to potentially lead this program was an important factor.”

Blair takes over a team that was 12-2 in its region a season ago, but graduated eight seniors, including four region all-stars.

“As a coach, I don’t think your brain ever stops working that way,” he said. “Justin and I have a vision for this team and we’re looking forward to seeing it through. There is certainly more responsibility (as head coach), but my mentality and approach has remained the same. I’m going to do my part to put the boys in the best position to succeed and carry forward the Warren soccer tradition.”

That tradition has included Warren County Sports Hall of Famer Mark Evans and Tom Harrington, who coached the Dragons to two D10 titles.

“That’s the great part about Warren soccer – it’s a family,” said Blair. “I’ve been in touch with just about everyone that I’ve played and coached with. My teammates are like brothers to this day, and we’re always discussing the direction of the program. I have a great support system, and I think that’s a testament to how impactful the Warren soccer program is.

“Of course, we will have goals for individual seasons, but as I get started, I’m thinking a bit bigger than that,” he said. “Rather than focusing on a successful season, I’m focused on building sustainable success for the program.

“My time around the program is definitely a benefit,” added Blair. “I have a great relationship with the boys and I’ve learned a lot from the coaches I’ve been around like Denny, Chris, and Mike (Kiehl). They’ve played a huge role in preparing me for this responsibility. There is a certain baseline of passion and effort inherent to this program, but truly every class and every player is different. My job is to highlight their strengths, and give them freedom to improve without fear of failing. From my experience, I’d say that we’ve always had a successful approach at the grassroots level. In the past, we’ve done a great job at finding the right balance of structure and giving players room to grow and enjoy the game.

“The biggest thing (for me) is continuing to invest time and instill the right philosophies into the grassroots,” added Blair. “The significance of growing a love and passion for the sport at a young age can’t be understated.”