PLATTEVILLE, WI- On August 1, 2009, UW-Platteville’s head soccer coach, Enzo Fuschino, suffered a serve heart attack just two weeks before the 2009 soccer season.
“We were all pretty down because he’s been our coach and we had a great year last year and we were looking forward to feeding off of that,” says men’s soccer player, Chris Brown.
“We were all shocked,” says women’s player, Kim Schneckloth.
Allison Sanyi coaches men's and women's soccer at UW-Platteville.
Now last year’s assistant soccer coach, Allison Sanyi, is stepping up and filling the former head coach’s shoes this year.
“After the news calmed down the athletic director called me into his office and he told me I would be acting head men’s and women’s soccer coach,” recalls Sanyi.
However, Sanyi did have her doubt taking on the new position.
“Enzo is a great coach he lead these guys to first NCAA appearance that the college ever had and I just kept thinking I hope I can handle this as well as he did,” says Sanyi.
Both Brown and Schneckloth believe Sanyi has what it takes to coach two teams successfully.
“Once we heard that Allison was stepping in, we had a lot of confidence in her; we knew that we could keep it going,” says Brown.
“We knew she could handle it. She’s a very good motivator and if we have a tough game she knows what we need to work on,” says Scheckloth.
“I didn’t know that would be the decision that was made you know a female coaching an all male college team isn’t usually the ordinary situation,” says Sanyi.
With all differences aside, Sayni and her two teams began practicing for a successful season.
“We all look at her the same as we would for another coach,” says Brown.
“We honestly haven’t had any problems and I don’t know if many people that or not because of a femlale coaching a men’s team, but these guys are a great group of guys they respond to me as they would for any other coach,” says Sanyi.
But Sayni has noticed the gender difference creates attention when the men’s teams plays at games.
“I think every time that a team comes down to play us or we go to play a team and I shake the other coaches hand say I’m Allison Sayni, the coach, here’s your roster; you can tell on their face they are a little shocked and I would be too because it’s not usual, but the Pioneer family it’s been fine and I’ve had the support from everybody at the university and all players and hopefully most of the parents” says Sanyi.
With the support from the UW-Platteville family and her two teams, Sayni has lead the men to a 2nd place conference finish.
Emily.Allen can be contacted at Emily.Allen@loras.edu
