Former Falcon Player and Aide
Hired as New Head Coach for Women’s Soccer
FOLLOWING A NATIONWIDE SEARCH for a new women’s
soccer coach, the best candidate for the position turned up in Seattle
Pacific
University’s own backyard. Chuck Sekyra is not only a Puget
Sound area native, but also an SPU alumnus and well-respected women’s
coach.
Sekyra was introduced to his players February 24 — two months
after Bobby Bruch resigned his post. The new coach is a 1989 graduate
of Seattle Pacific, played on two of the Falcons’ NCAA championship
teams and assisted head men’s soccer coach Cliff McCrath from
1998 to 1999.
For the past three seasons, Sekyra served as assistant women’s
soccer coach at the University of Washington. He was active in
recruiting, scouting, training session development andfund raising.
In his first year, the Huskies had their finest season, winning the
Pac-10 championship, advancing to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen and going
18-3-0. Sekyra is also head coach of the Washington state ODP (Olympic
Development Program) Girls Under-16 team, Region IV ODP staff coach
and former soccer coordinator for Arena Sports.
“Coach Sekyra rose to the top of a distinguished pool of applicants because
he
is a respected leader with deep roots in the Northwest soccer community,” notes
SPU Athletic Director Tom Box. “Our team’s future will be in good
hands.”
Sekyra says he is energized about returning to his alma mater. “To have
the opportunity to come back to the place where I was first inspired to become
a coach is very motivating. I have very high goals for this program.”
The Seattle Pacific women’s program has been in existence for only two
seasons, but the Falcons won their final nine games en route to the 2002 Great
Northwest
Athletic Conference championship and a record of 13-4-2. Of the 24 players on
the squad, 23 are eligible to return in 2003.
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