Head Boy’s Soccer Coach Joe Carter is a six time state championship coach.  He has received tremendous accolades for his coaching prowess—twice named as the Alabama state and three times Metro Area Coach of the Year by the Birmingham News, recipient of the Region Three (southeast) Coach of the Year, and the National Federation of State High School Associations Coach of the Year for the state of Alabama.  In his high school coaching career Coach Carter has amassed an overall record of 323-165-43.

 

 The “father” of soccer at Spain Park High School, Coach Carter came to the Jaguar program with the purpose of building a qualiity soccer program consistent with the lofty goals of Hoover’s newest high school.  The Jaguars had immediate success under Coach Carter’s tutelage and while only having freshmen and sophomore players, they made the state play-offs in the school’s very first year.  In 2006 the Jaguars returned to the play-offs with a record of 15-8-2, playing in Alabama’s tough 6-A classification.  In 2008 Spain Park made it to the AHSAA Final Four with a season record of 20-7-3.  In the state championship semi-final, they met their biggest area rivals, Oak Mountain.  The team played their hearts out but lost  3-2 in sudden death penalty kicks to the eventual State Champions. In 2011 the team returned to the playoffs but were defeated by cross town rival Hoover High School 2-0.

 

Joe Carter began his soccer career playing at Jupiter Christian High School in Jupiter, Florida.  After graduation, he received a scholarship to play at Warner Southern College in Lake Wales, Florida.  After four years as the team’s goalie, he transferred to Judson College in Elgin, Illinois to finish his education, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Studies and Physical Education.

 

Coach Carter embarked on his Alabama coaching career  at John Carroll Catholic High School, where he experienced tremendous success.  His teams won six AHSAA Boy’s Soccer State Championships, in 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000.  He was subsequently attracted to Spain Park with the vision of initiating a first rate soccer program at what was destined to be a preeminent school.  The Jaguars play in the toughest soccer area in the state of Alabama.  With Vestavia, Mountain Brook, Oak Mountain, Homewood, and Gardendale as their opponents you can easily see why many consider this area the most challenging.

 

Coach Carter and his wife Sarah both teach at Spain Park.  They have two children. Caitlyn is a freshman at Auburn and Devin who is a junior at Spain Park. Devin also plays soccer for the Jaguars.