3 days Ago By Dan Rosenfield [email protected]
Toutle Lake girls soccer took the win from Castle Rock on Thursday, 1-0 . But that wasn’t the only victory for coach Alli Ostreim. Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to The Daily News.
She also triumphed over her sister Ashley Fulton, coaching Castle Rock on the other side of the field, much to her dismay. “I’m not mad about it," Fulton joked. "Besides the fact that it was Toutle and it was my sister coaching, that’s the only thing I’m mad about.
" Castle Rock's Sarah Johnson and Toutle Lake's Kendra Crane fight over the ball in their matchup on Thursday, Sept. 12 in Toutle. The two were playfully digging at each other shortly after halftime, needing to reassure the referees they are sisters.
“I was a little worried I would mouth off too much, but I kept it under control,” said Fulton, who is eight years older than Ostreim. Both went through Kelso's youth soccer program, eventually playing for the high school. Their father, Jim Ostreim, is an assistant to Alli Ostreim at Toutle Lake and coached both of them growing up.
Toutle Lake girls soccer coach Alli Ostreim (left), her sister Castle Rock girls soccer coach Ashley Fulton and her father Toutle Lake assistant coach Jim Ostreim, pose for a photo after Toutle Lake's 1-0 victory against Castle Rock on Thursday, Sept. 12 in Toutle. Watching her sister play fueled Alli Ostreim's love for the game.
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Because my dad coached her, I always got to be at her practices and I got to be up with the big girls," she said. "Being able to play with the bigger girls made it easier once I got into high school myself." Their father didn’t have a strong passion for soccer, but stepped in to coach the Kelso recreational team after a lack of coaches would have prevented Fulton from playing.
He eventually coached with Dan Nickerson in Select and Premier and with John Bates at R.A. Long and Kalama.
He helped the Chinooks reach the semifinals of the 2B state tournament . Toutle Lake girls soccer assistant coach Jim Ostreim talks to his team at halftime against Castle Rock on Thursday, Sept. 12 in Toutle.
Alli Ostreim is in her second year coaching the Ducks while Fulton is a first-year coach for the Rockets. The younger sister started helping her dad coach R.A.
Long boys and girls in 2011 and 2012, then began coaching her daughter in 2020. She was offered the Toutle Lake job last year. Fulton said her sister was always hesitant to coach because she was worried she wouldn’t have time while raising children.
“She’s nailing it," Fulton said. "She’s coaching her youngest daughter plus this high school team, so she’s got this figured out.” Fulton said she started coaching her son and daughter at an early age, before her son “was too cool for soccer” and went on to play football.
She followed her daughter, Larissa, up through middle school and contemplated calling it quits and ending a long debate. "My soccer girls often used to ask if I'd coach them forever when they were young," Fulton said. "As they grew up, they realized they wouldn't be playing together forever, so then the battle of who I'd coach the longest started.
" Fulton missed the opportunity to apply for the Castle Rock boys soccer coaching position two years ago, and once the girls position opened, she figured it was a sign to take the chance. "This is the one level I haven't coached at and what a better chance then to do it right here in Castle Rock where I live, where I teach at and where my kids go," Fulton said. She became head coach at Castle Rock last year and coaches Larissa, who is a freshman on the team.
Had Fulton gotten the job first, their dad said perhaps he would be coaching with her at Castle Rock instead — a fact that fueled Fulton’s desire to win on Thursday even more. Castle Rock girls soccer coach Ashley Fulton talks with her team at halftime against Toutle Lake on Thursday, Sept. 12 in Toutle.
“My dad restarted with her instead of restarting with me, so (there’s) a little rivalry there," she said. "That’s why I really wanted this game." Despite the soccer rivalry, the three remain close, both in proximity and as a family.
They live just about five minutes a part and constantly see each other. At Friday pizza dinners and Sunday brunches, they discuss soccer, but refrain from giving away too much about their squads. “Every once in a while I try to eavesdrop on a conversation (my dad) was having to try to pick up (something) but I only got so many little tidbits,” Fulton said.
Castle Rock's Sarah Johnson performs a corner kick against Toutle Lake on Thursday, Sept. 12 in Toutle. Fulton had a tough test Thursday going against her father and sister who have had previous experience coaching at the high school level.
Fulton has her hands full with the Rockets as they only won one game a season ago and have not had a winning season since 2019. Plus, the opposing team had inside knowledge on Larissa. “This is my first year as a head coach, so I knew going into it they were obviously going to have a little more knowledge because I’ve never been here, but it was a good learning experience,” Fulton said.
“Unfortunately, they know my kid because she’s the granddaughter and the niece so they caught on real fast and were able to warn the team about her big throw which kind of upset me.” It’s also been a learning experience for the Ostreims as they are trying to build the program in Toutle in just its seventh year of existence. The team went 5-11 and 4-6 in the Central 2B League in its first year under the Ostreims, earning a trip to the district tournament for the first time in the program’s short history.
Toutle Lake girls soccer coach Alli Ostreim surveys the field in her team's game against Caslte Rock on Thursday, Sept. 12 in Toutle. Last season, the Ducks won more games than they did in the previous five years combined by snagging three wins.
Also, the 14 goals they scored last year, nearly matched the 18 they scored in the three years prior. “It’s been fun to watch it grow bigger and bigger,” Alli Ostreim said. “Definitely nice going from them losing to winning games or keeping them close.
The girls are nice, some of the nicest kids I’ve been around." She said having her father by her side has really helped her as a coach. “He’s my backbone, he sees my backend where I can’t always see 11 girls all at once,” she said.
“He’s my second set of eyes which makes it nice because he’s very knowledgeable about soccer and I’ve learned everything from him throughout the years. It’s nice having him as my assistant when I don’t see little things or might not know how to address the girls, he’s done it for 35-plus years.” His friendly personality goes far beyond the soccer field.
“He’s goofy, very positive and the kids love him,” Alli Ostreim said. Sent weekly directly to your inbox! Sports reporter {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items..
