As the soccer program at SMSU evolves and expands, it is expected to bring in new blood. For the 2016-2017 school year, it has fulfilled this requirement by adding two assistant coaches: Megan Kilroy and Mike Kasmarik.

Their names are recognizable as they both have ties to the soccer program at SMSU. Kilroy has an impressive record as a Mustang. She was captain for three years of her four years as a player here and still holds the all-time minutes played record. Kasmarik is father to head coach Erin Kasmarik-Mallet and has volunteered with the soccer program in the past.

Kilroy, in addition to playing soccer for SMSU, can date her soccer experience back to age nine. She believes the most important aspect of a team is mental toughness, what she describes as the ability to stay resilient and confident in the difficult situations that may arise in sports. As a graduate assistant, Kilroy helps make decisions for the focus at practices and game plans.

“I hope to do everything I can as a coach to show them how to better one another to create something special on the field,” Kilroy said.

Similarly, Kasmarik has extensive experience with the game. His coaching experience includes guiding his three daughters through their juvenile soccer careers. Overall, he’s racked up over 30 years of coaching.

While Kasmarik believes strongly in developing a team’s defense, he shares the opinion with Kilroy that the most important skill a player can develop is in their mind. Ultimately, he strives to teach each player to differentiate between what they can and cannot control.

He also emphasizes the need for players to learn from their own experience and from professional players.

As an assistant coach, Kasmarik offers himself as an extra pair of eyes and ears during practices and games and gives comments from his vast coaching experience, but also scouts for the team at club games in Minneapolis.

Both Kilroy and Kasmarik believe that the soccer program has great potential and a lot to prove this season.

“The program is going in the right direction and it may take a bit of time for things to gel. The fans should come out to support us and be patient because down the road there is going to be some nice success,” Kasmarik said.