Date: Fri 04-Sep-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: KIMH

Quick Words:

Matt-Micros-Girls-Soccer

Full Text:

Matt Micros -- New Girls' Soccer Coach (1998)

BY KIM J. HARMON

Matt Micros knows what it's like to be versatile and it's a concept he is

preaching hard in his first year as the head coach of the Newtown High School

girls' soccer team.

Matt, 31, has had a number of different gigs since graduating from Notre Dame

and moving to California -- in television and film and working on

Nickelodeon's Wild & Crazy Kids; as a substitute and part-time teacher and

soccer coach; as a scout in a talent agency.

It's the teaching and coaching, though, which seemed to have the impact on him

and one of the things (besides the fact that the proximity to New York will

help with his writing) that brought him back east, back near his old stomping

grounds of Rochester, New York.

He first found himself, two years ago, at Bunnell High School in Stratford,

where he did his student teaching and first began coaching. From there, he

moved on last year to Fairfield High School in Fairfield, where he taught

part-time and also coached.

Now he is here, in Newtown, filling a void at Newtown High in the math

department and on the soccer field.

"It's kind of a nice fit here," said Matt, who presently lives in Fairfield.

Players and parents hope it is a nice fit, since the coaching position with

the girls' soccer program has been stuck in a revolving door since the

departure of Pete Federov three years ago.

Kim Berglund, an All-American at Cortland State, became the first woman to

coach the former Western Connecticut Conference powerhouse, replaced Federov

and guided Newtown to a 16-9-7 record over two years before leaving for

another school system.

Then came in Matt McCloghry, who lasted just one year and led the Nighthawks

to a 8-6-1 record.

Now it's Matt Micros' turn.

And what he has is a team heavily layered with underclassmen -- talented

underclassman -- who are not only good soccer players, but good athletes with

experience in a variety of sports.

Versatility -- there's that word again.

And it's easy for Matt to preach that idea to his players, not only with his

life experiences but his soccer experiences as well. Matt was a offensive

player throughout this high school career and once he moved on to Notre Dame

(where he majored in American Studies and Mathematics) he was transformed into

a defensive player.

"I wasn't thrilled about it," recalled Matt, who also coaches premier programs

during the summer, "but I always use (the experience) when I talk to the kids.

Everybody is fast and everybody is skilled, so you have to make adjustments

and you need to be versatile to get on the field."

The big adjustments, early on in the 1998 season, will be the players

adjusting to the coach -- and vice versa. But everything, so far, is moving

smoothly and Matt is looking forward to a successful season.

"We'll be a solid team that can play with anyone on any given day," he said.

And the first given day will be Wednesday, September 16, when the Nighthawks

host Immaculate.