Exuding humility, women’s soccer coach, Krissy Engelbrecht, made it clear that she alone did not win the GLVC Coach of the Year Award and that without her team this victory would not have been possible.

She said that winning the award shows how much her team has accomplished this season.

“I think this award is more of a team award, because you can’t get it without your team doing well,” she explains.

Engelbrecht’s 12-5-1 record boasts of fantastic achievements, however she still believes that there is plenty of room for improvement, and that this award will motivate her team to work harder and play better.

“This award plus some of the other awards we got showed that the hard work paid off. I think they’re [the team] going to want even more next year.”

The Coach of the Year award is chosen by the league’s coaches and is declared “A nice honor from peers,” by Athletic Director John Marks. This fact is not lost on Engelbrecht, but she still does not take all of the credit.

“It’s always nice when you are recognized by your peers, but again for me it’s more of how well our team does.”

She knows that receiving this award relies on her and her team being acknowledged for how well her team has played this year.

Her players agree that she deserves this award as well.

“[This award] lets us know that our couch is very experienced and it shows that we need to always do what she expects because it will work,” Megan Kempf, junior forward for the women’s soccer team, said, “her winning this award just proves how far our program has come. It shows how good of a job she has done here with us.”

The coach/player relationship is synonymous. Engelbrecht speaks fondly of her players, explaining that working with the girls has made her more patient. She chuckles at this remark.

“I enjoy watching them grow up. They come in as 18-year-old kids, and leave as 22-year-old adults.”

She expresses the fulfillment she receives from helping the girls grow into adults and help mold them into the people they will become. Engelbrecht expresses that being a coach is not just about winning games and awards, but it is also about forming meaningful relationships and helping one another grow as people.