The College of Chicago males's soccer group is stacked with All-Individuals and veteran leaders. Nevertheless it's their rookie head coach who's making historical past.
Julianne Sitch guided the college to an undefeated file and prime seed within the NCAA Division III Closing 4, making her the primary girl to teach a males's soccer group to the championship match.
Sitch may make extra historical past Saturday. If the College of Chicago Maroon's win the Division III nationwide championship sport, she would be the first girl to teach a males's soccer group to a nationwide championship.
"It offers younger ladies one thing to aspire," she instructed CBS Information. "If they'll see it, they'll dream it, they'll imagine it, after which aspire to be that."
Sitch's journey began as a 5-year-old lady taking part in on boys' groups and continued when she was knowledgeable participant in Australia, Sweden and the US. She took over the Maroons in April, and have become considered one of solely two girls teaching an NCAA Division III males's soccer group.
"I've coached a whole lot of younger ladies however I've additionally labored with a whole lot of younger boys as nicely and I believe on the finish of the day you are teaching athletes," she stated.
Whereas it is a first for a lot of the group, they're fast to inform you that gender has nothing to do with successful. It was by no means "an enormous, urgent factor that she was a lady," stated Griffin Wada, who's a senior and group captain.
"She's only a calm presence," he stated.
"As soon as we step on the sector, our play speaks for itself and speaks to her teaching skills," stated junior goalkeeper Will Boyes.
To Sitch, gender does not actually have a lot to do with teaching, both.
"Each coach has one thing totally different to supply," she stated.