ROCHELLE — New Hubs assistant soccer coach Koby Stern has been around the game for nearly his whole life, and he’s looking forward to bringing his wealth of experience to the Rochelle program this season.

Stern replaces former Hub player and assistant coach Ryan Winterton, who had coached the team for the last three seasons. Rochelle opens its season at Earlville’s War on 34 Tournament next week.

“I’m very excited to join the boys soccer program,” Stern said. “It’s an honor to be a part of the program. I know they had a really good year last season so I know the players are looking to build on that and continue working toward the future.”

Stern’s experience coaching soccer includes running a summer program at an overnight camp in northern Wisconsin for roughly eight years. He played all through high school, and he spends a lot of time traveling to watch soccer.

A big member of the supporters group for the U.S. National Team, Stern has been everywhere from Kansas City to Columbus and even the Estadio Azteca in Mexico. He currently works at the Chana Education Center.

“I have a lot of experience being around the game,” Stern said. “I’m looking to bring my experience as well as my energy and my positive attitude to the players and the team. I want to try and build everybody up as well as I can… Working with the players, who not only want to be successful on the field, but off the field, is what I enjoy most about coaching.”