Coaching helps players, such as forward Elise Kreighoff, improve their own game.
Keenan Donath
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While passion for a sport often manifests itself in heightened on-field performance, it can also be seen in the coaches on the sidelines guiding their teams to victory.
At Cal Poly, a handful of women’s soccer players can say they have experienced these dual perspectives in an effort to learn more about the game they love and to give back to the local community.
Forward Elise Krieghoff, who led the NCAA in goals for much of this past season, moonlights as a coach for the women’s junior varsity team at San Luis Obispo High School. She described how she first got initiated into the world of coaching as serendipitous.
“It just kind of fell in my lap,” Krieghoff said. “A really good friend on the soccer team asked, ‘Do you want to coach with me this year?’ And I was like, ‘Sure, I think I could do this pretty well.’ Sure enough, I really enjoyed it.”
While the hiring process may have been casual, Krieghoff quickly learned a certain level of commitment would be necessary in order for her to do the job well.
“People underestimate coaching,” Krieghoff said. “We have to be there every single day for two hours, whether that is implementing a practice or making sure everybody went to school or making sure everyone is on time for practices. It’s a lot of work, but it is definitely worth it.”
And Krieghoff’s partnership with the team seems to be paying dividends. Krieghoff, along with fellow coach and Cal Poly teammate Nicole Wheeler, has led her team to a 19-1-1 record so far this season.
As an athlete in a competitive NCAA Division I program, Krieghoff admits it can be difficult standing on the sidelines when the team is struggling.
“If we are down in a game, we just want to suit up and go out and play for them,” Krieghoff said.
But her experience coaching has taught her not to worry too much, even when she knows her players could be playing better.
“As a coach, you learn to be patient and you have to let them figure it out, and as a player, you don’t want your coach yelling and screaming at you on the sideline,” Krieghoff said. “I learned a lot of patience coaching, and it kind of helps my game, too.”
Krieghoff is not the only one benefiting from her coaching experience. In addition to her and Wheeler, six other Cal Poly women’s soccer players gained coaching experience this season.
Juniors Lauren Heer and Cynthia Garcia coach the women’s freshman team at San Luis Obispo High School, and senior Kacey Held is an assistant coach for the high school’s women’s varsity team. Goalkeeper Megan Heddinger is a women’s soccer coach at Mission College Preparatory Catholic High School, and sophomores Sara Epps and Robin Mertens are coaches for the San Luis Obispo Fire Department women’s club team.
When asked about a potential career in coaching, Krieghoff likes to keep it simple.
“[Coaching] is just something that I do for fun; it really just helps to develop more people skills,” Krieghoff said. “And if you are able to teach what you love, I think it really helps my game, too.”