SWIC’s Eversmeyer is one of a handful of women coaching men’s college soccer program | St. Louis CITY SC

This tumble, she will be 1 of just three women of all ages in the United States coaching a faculty men’s program. She’s the new men’s coach at Southwestern Illinois Higher education.

“It’s an enjoyable time, and it’s definitely a new challenge for me,” Eversmeyer mentioned.

A standout participant from Alton Significant, Eversmeyer acquired numerous honors there and went on to play in higher education, first at the College of Kansas and then at Harris-Stowe Point out University. She concluded her faculty profession with several records and honors.

She then turned the initial girl to play skillfully for the St. Louis Steamers of the Major Indoor Soccer League.

Eversmeyer then turned her consideration to coaching. She served as a specialized director for ladies soccer for the Gateway Hurry Soccer Club and has also labored as an assistant mentor for a quantity of space schools. She owned and ran the extremely profitable Hearth & Ice crew of the Women’s Leading Soccer League for the earlier 10 years, leading it to a 12- file and a nationwide championship in 2017 and a different Closing Four visual appearance in 2018.

More than nine successful seasons — the workforce did not engage in in 2020 since of COVID — Fireplace & Ice went 70-23-9, outscored opponents 232-83 and posted 42 shutouts.

“When I began this, the options for youthful gals who desired to proceed taking part in soccer in the course of or right after college were incredibly minimal,” Eversmeyer stated at the conclude of this summer’s WPSL year. “I experienced performed in the WPSL and wished to assist other ladies get that exact same possibility …”

Early in the period, Eversmeyer declared that this would be her last 12 months working the area’s WPSL squad. But she will keep on with the league as affiliate commissioner for the 40 groups in the Central area.

She’s fired up about the higher education coaching option.

“It took a whilst to turn into official, but I’ve been operating with (SWIC women’s coach) Juergen Huettner and his team through much of the summer months to get ready for this,” Eversmeyer said. “We figured out in the spring that (past mentor Larry Petri) was stepping down immediately after 34 a long time on the work. Larry’s a single of the nicest men and women I’ve at any time fulfilled, and he’s performed some wonderful items for this program.”

The Blue Storm men’s soccer squad completed 4-13 previous year less than Petri, who was inducted into the National Junior University Athletic Affiliation Corridor of Fame in 2010. This year’s squad opens its period on Aug. 21 versus going to Allen County (Kansas) Neighborhood Faculty.

“We have a good selection of guys back again and I added 8 or nine recruits,” Eversmeyer said. “I contacted a whole lot of the recruits on Zoom phone calls, and most of them have been international gamers who weren’t knowledgeable that I was a girl. To see some of people very first reactions was really amusing. But when we started out talking soccer, I was equipped to earn at the very least some of them about.”

Eversmeyer joins New York University’s Kim Wyant and Julianne Sitch of the University of Chicago as the only gals as head coaches in men’s higher education soccer. Wyant is an primary member of the U.S. Soccer women’s national workforce and has been coaching in NCAA Division III due to the fact 2015. Sitch has taken in excess of this time at Chicago, a further NCAA DIII method.

“I’ve performed and I’ve coached at a high amount, and the game’s nevertheless the sport,” Eversmeyer stressed. “I’m confident in my knowledge of the activity and in potential to make adjustments on the fly tactically for the duration of a match. The only issue about this that issues me is that I never want to be used as a unfavorable case in point I really don’t want any person else to be held back from a very similar chance due to the fact they did not think I was in a position to do what was needed to get the occupation performed.

“I’m thankful to Southwestern Illinois College for this opportunity, and I’m heading to do all the things in my electricity to be profitable.”

When the Blue Storm opened routines final week, the key emphasis was on exercise. Eversmeyer explained her beloved soccer mentor is Jurgen Klopp, who runs Liverpool of the English Premier League.

“He favors possession soccer and a very direct assault,” she mentioned. “Obviously, you have to adjust your formation and design to your gamers, but I want us to be a crew that wins the ball and then rapidly receives into the assault. Hopefully, we can put the opponent on its heels and go correct at them.”

Eversmeyer extra: “My intention is to do what ever I can to assistance these younger guys transfer forward and be effective on and off the soccer industry.”