Allie Rooney ’16
Sports Editor
The soccer program officially announced Mark Platts as its new coach for the upcoming 2014-2015 school year. Platts joins the program as the seventh head coach of the team, which personally selected him after sitting down with the final four candidates and submitting their opinions about each person. The members of the soccer team had the opportunity to sit down and meet with the top four candidates and submit their final opinions about each person.
Platts has a wealth of knowledge about the game of soccer in almost every level and, additionally, holds some pretty impressive diplomas and certificates of recognition. He has an Advanced National Diploma, Director of Coaching Diploma, a State and Regional Goalkeeper Coaching License from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, and a United States Soccer Federation C License.
Platts is currently working to complete his PhD in Sports Management and Leadership at Concordia University. This, combined with his six years of undergraduate teaching experience will equip him as a lecturer in Smith’s exercise and sports studies department. Athletic Director Lynn Oberbillig stated that “his ability to teach in the ESS [Excercise and Sports Studies] graduate program and mentor graduate assistants was important to our department.”
Prior to this new gig, Platts was the head coach at Point Park University in Pennsylvania from 2010 to 2012. He has been acting as assistant coach at Eastern Oregon University where his team improved tremendously since he arrived at the program. He also has vast experience in recruiting and fundraising, which was an important factor that the Smith team took into consideration during the interview process.
Platts’s first practice with the team will be on April 16 and all members are very excited to see where he will take the program. Below are two current team members’ opinions on the hiring of Platts.
“I think Mark’s coaching style will enable us to play a successful possession style, which is something we have struggled with at times in past seasons… I think the whole team is excited about the passion for soccer Mark will be bringing to the program.”
-Gigi Ross ’16 (Midfiedler)
“When the team heard the news about Mark being chosen to represent Smith soccer as our new head coach, we were more than excited. His personality was a great fit for the team and his coaching style matched with what we as a team agreed with.”
– Alanna Lynch ’17 (Goalkeeper)
