Will Conerly
Contributing Writer
Women’s Varsity soccer coach and assistant men’s coach Chris Allen will bid farewell to the WG soccer program upon the conclusion of this season.
Allen will be assistant coaching St. Louis University women’s soccer team next year.
“I’ve always wanted to coach college soccer, and to get to coach at a school that is in town and a Division One school is a great deal,” Allen said.
This year will be Allen’s 10th and final season as coach for the women’s Varsity team.
The coaching spot for next year is undetermined as of now, but one thing is for sure: the new coach will be given the keys to success. The young team consists of six freshman, including standout and team-leading scorer (15 goals) Gretchen Skoglund.
“They will be set up for success for many years to come,” Allen said.
Allen led last year’s senior-packed squad to a third place finish in State. Allen also assisted in coaching the men’s team on its back-to-back State run this school year.
Friend, student and player of Allen’s, Antoine Givens said, “He was very crucial in scouting other opponents during our playoff run,”
Allen will continue teaching per usual at Webster Groves.
At SLU, Allen will reunite with Webster alumni Maddie Pokorny, who played soccer for Coach Allen and is currently on SLU’s soccer team.
“As good as she is on the field, she’s a better person off of it. Getting to see her on a daily basis will be pretty cool,” Allen said.
This season, as a freshman, Pokorny started every game for SLU.
Allen has conveyed his passion about soccer and his drive for excellence to all of his teams.
“I will do whatever they ask me to do to the best of my ability,” Allen said about assuming the position as assistant coach at SLU.
Allen has instilled core values among the WGGS program’s participants.
Students may recognize these women walking around with shirts with various WGGS slogans on them.
“‘Pride in the program’ is my favorite,” Allen said.
Allen said pride and passion for his program is something that is very important to him, and he will absolutely continue to have pride in the Webster program.
Allen said when people work so hard and so long on something, they become attached. This attachment will remain with Allen.
Givens said, “Webster soccer will miss somebody who is reliable, has knowledge of the game and genuinely cares about his players,”
The last four year Webster has had 90 wins and is already 19-2-1 this season. Allen brought Webster from a hopeful .500 (winning percentage) school into a sure 20-game winner program.
