By Tim Morris
Shannon Mayrose was one of the most dynamic and passionate high school soccer players to play in the Shore Conference and the state.
She spearheaded an unprecedented three-year run by the girls at Freehold High School that saw the Colonials reach the NJSIAA Group III finals three consecutive years and win back-to-back state championships. She was the Gatorade New Jersey High School Soccer Player of the Year in her senior season. She went on to a college career at Virginia Tech, where she earned All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors and graduated as one of the program’s all-time leading scorers — second in career goals (27), second in game-winning goals (10) and third in points (67).
She is now channeling that passion into coaching. She is the new head coach of the girls soccer team at Howell High School, where she is a guidance counselor.
“When you can’t play anymore you have to find a way to keep yourself in the game,” she said.
Coaching at the high school level is the answer for her.
“I’m definitely excited,” she said of her upcoming first season as a head coach. “I’m excited for the preseason and tryouts.”
Two things have made the transition a smooth one.
“Being a volunteer coach last year [at Howell] made the transition easier,” she said, adding it has made her familiar with the Rebels’ players. “I do have to give credit to Courtney Krol (who stepped down as the Rebels’ head coach after last season). She’s given me great support. I’m going to lean on her as I get my feet wet.”
If the summer is any indication, things are already off to a good start for Mayrose and the Rebels based on the numbers participating in the Atlantic Club’s summer league.
“We’ve had a great turnout,” she said. “We have three teams playing. We have a big freshman group.”
Mayrose said that over the summer months, she wants her players to have fun to avoid burnout. But on the first day of practice Aug. 16, play time is over.
“I told them they better be running,” Mayrose said.
Mayrose said she will coach by talent but that her overall theme is based more on possessing the ball. As a midfielder, she’s learned the value of controlling the ball and not getting involved in a kick-and-run game where all you do is chase down the ball.
She is looking forward to the teaching aspect of coaching. That’s what gives her the most enjoyment.
“I like the teaching part,” she said. “I like showing a player the right way to do something. It’s rewarding when you see that they get it and see it on the field.”
A meticulous planner, Mayrose will look to make practice educational. She said her approach to practice is to make every minute count.
“Every drill is with a purpose,” she said. “They’ll know why I’m doing it.”
Mayrose explained that soccer is both a team and individual sport. Within the framework of the team, the more an individual can improve her game, the better it is for the team. That’s where one-on-one attention between coach and player is important.
From her experience at Freehold, Mayrose knows how vital leadership from the upperclassmen is to a team’s success. She wants her players to feel empowered because player accountability is important.
“One of my main goals is to build the program culture — make it unified from the seniors to the freshmen,” she said.
Mayrose admits that she didn’t really picture herself as a head coach when she was scoring all those clutch goals for Freehold and Virginia Tech. But after teaching at soccer clinics and camps over the years, she liked the idea of teaching and helping others learn the sport.
“I’m happy where I’m at now,” she said.
Mayrose is not far removed from her high school playing days, yet she has seen changes already.
“It has evolved,” she said. “You see more one-sport athletes. There’s more technical talent. You see a trend now to be more physically fit. There more of an emphasis on it.
“It’s a good change. They’re taking care of their bodies at an earlier age.”
When she warned her players that they better do their running over the summer, it was about more than just conditioning. The coach said it gives her the opportunity to see how much the program means to the players and how hard they are willing to work.
“It speaks volumes about their commitment to the team,” she said.
An emotional player on the field, Mayrose said she’s approaching coaching with a different frame of mind. She said her goal is to be cool, calm and collected.
Mayrose credited her two high school coaches, Heshy Moses and Elise Ingui, with helping her along her path to being a head coach.
“They’re two people who played a big role in my life,” she said. “I’m thankful to both. I still talk to them.”
Moses is her mentor, and Mayrose noted that it will definitely be weird coaching against Ingui when Howell and Freehold play in their Shore Conference A North Division matches.