Posted August 22, 2025 in Articles
When it came to finding a new head coach for Lawrence’s varsity soccer team, Director of Athletics Bryan Cioffoletti had one name in mind: Makayla Bolon.
“She was my number one target,” he said. “Her dedication to Lawrence, both as a player and a coach, is exactly what I was looking for. Honestly, you can see it when they play here. I make a note to get their number after graduation because I know I’ll want to bring them back. A head coach role has only happened three or four times, and Makayla is only the second person to take on a varsity head role. It’s very rare to find a combination of someone who is dedicated, good at their sport, and a good leader. She was an easy choice.”
A 2020 graduate and standout three-sport athlete for the Lions, Bolon’s journey at Lawrence is one of tenacity and hard work. These qualities were forged on the fields and courts, where she earned a school-record 15 varsity letters—five each in basketball, soccer, and softball.
Bolon started playing soccer for the Lions in the seventh grade, and throughout her career, she often found herself as the only girl on a team of boys. This experience developed a mental and physical toughness that would shape her future.
“It was an interesting yet great experience,” she said. “I was always familiar with playing with boys because I always did co-ed growing up with my brother, so it never bothered me. Playing with different coaches over the years also gave me a lot of different perspectives that I now apply to my own coaching style.”
After high school, Bolon played two years of college soccer at Lakeland Community College and a semester at Cleary University in Michigan before returning home. For the past two years, she served as the Lions’ varsity assistant coach. Now, she’s leading the team as head coach, a role she never expected to be in.
“I never thought I would be a head coach, mostly because I don’t like being the center of attention,” Bolon said. “But after assisting the last two years and eventually creating plays, I gained a lot more confidence. When the opportunity came up, I took it.”
Now leading her own team, Bolon brings a unique and personalized coaching philosophy to the field.
“I like to break down my coaching style into four categories of learners: kinesthetic, visual, auditory, and reading/writing,” she explained. “I have dyslexia, so I know how important it is to hit all those learning styles when I’m writing up plays or creating formations.”
This tailored approach is a top priority for her, especially with a team that has a variety of new and returning players.
“A lot of my time is spent on coaching preparation and finding ways to help each kid, since every player has a different learning style,” Bolon said.
Cioffoletti has full confidence that Bolon will bring the same dedication she showed as a player to her new coaching role.
“She brings her hard work,” he said. “She reflected a lot of that when I was her coach. This team is going to be pushed, and I'm really excited to see how they look.”
For Bolon, she’s eager for her first season and the opportunity to give back to the community that helped shape her.
“This opportunity means a lot,” she said. "I'm very grateful and honored to be the head coach for the school that I played for for so many years," she said. “I can’t wait to see where this season goes. I'm pretty excited for our first game.”
The first game of the Bolon era begins at 5 p.m. on August 22 at First Baptist Christian School.