Q & A with Coach Morgan McLaughlan-Crespo
Photo by Centenary Ladies Soccer.
The following is a Q & A with the Head Coach of the Women’s Soccer—Coach Crespo.
Q: Is there anything about Centenary that is special to you as a coach?
A: The people! The first time I stepped foot on campus everyone was humble and very welcoming; it made me feel like I was already part of a family.
Q: What made you want to be a coach?
A: It wasn’t until my senior year of college that I started to think about coaching. I knew that I wanted to still continue to be a part of the game in some way, so I applied to be a high school coach, and that’s where it all started!
Q: How do you use what you learned in college to be a better college coach?
A: It’s always a learning process. Every team is different when it comes to personalities, skill, and talent (as I learned in college as a player). For me, it’s important to be relevant and relatable.
Q: What’s it like with your significant other working alongside with you?
A: It’s pretty great being able to work alongside my better half, but it does have cons! I’ve learned a lot from him. We share different ideas that we could use to help both of our teams even if we don’t coach the same sport. The only con is when our seasons overlap; we hardly see each other!
Q: Have you seen yourself impact your athlete’s lives?
A: Absolutely! I think that’s the best part about coaching for me. The role of a coach is not just coaching! Coaches do more than just motivate athletes towards success on the field. We also help athletes with their individual mindset, including self-esteem. We help young women see their strengths and stand up again in the face of defeat whether it’s from an injury, tough loss, or poor performance. We can provide life-long benefits for student-athletes and that often gets overlooked. I’ve been lucky enough to coach the teams that I have. I’m constantly learning from them as they are from me. One of my favorite things is hearing from my players years after I’ve coached them. Whether it’s them saying what’s up, thanking me, checking in, giving updates on their life, or getting an invitation to their wedding, it’s a validation that I’ve done well, and that I made a difference in their life.
Q: Have you ever had someone in your life that guides you to be a coach?
A: All of my coaches. Whether I thought they were good or bad at the time, all of my coaches—middle school through college have impacted my life in some sort of way. Inadvertently, they all have guided me in a way to want to be a coach!
