Back on the bench: Shaner '01 returns as assistant coach for women's soccer

The NBA. Probably not the most obvious parrallel to collegiate women's soccer one could find.

On the other hand, if you're looking for examples of former players who have hung up their Air Jordans and become coaches, there is no more fertile ground than the National Basketball Association. Pat Riley, Phil Jackson and Scott Skiles all made the transition from the floor to the bench — with some success.

Now Julie Shaner '01 has joined the ranks of those who have chosen to impart what they learned on the field to the next generation. She has taken on the role of assistant coach to head coach Julie Shackford, working with the team on corner kicks and other set pieces while finishing her work in the teacher-preparation program this fall.

Women's soccer at Princeton may be a far cry from life in the NBA, but the transition from learner to teacher is similar everywhere.

"It's actually been a very easy transition," Shaner said after the Tigers' Tuesday night win over Stony Brook. "I've had to slide into a different role, but they're very coachable."

Assistant coaches all reside in this strange gray area between the team and the head coach. With neither the stress of balancing student and athlete life, nor the authority of a commanding head coach position, assistant coaches frequently struggle to earn the respect of all the interested parties.

Shaner finds herself in the most fortunate of circumstances. Having been named a second-team all-Ivy team selection in her last season, there is no doubt that Shaner understands the burden of her players. And with not even a full season between her time on the field and her service on the sidelines, her relationships with her teammates remain intact.

"A lot of the qualities that this team had when I played are still here," Shaner said. "This is a great team."

"Because she has played with many of us for a number of years, we were able to enjoy her company as a close friend and coach," senior midfielder and captain Linley Gober said.

"It's been really great to have the perspective of someone who is so fresh out of school herself that she can relate to everything that we are going through both on and off the field," Gober added.

And now, as a coach, her knowledge of the broader concepts of soccer has begun to shine through.

"She's been especially involved in our set pieces and corner kicks which we proved to have benefited greatly from by scoring three goals off corners in our first game alone," Gober said.

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But it is not the technical instruction that separates a good assistant from just another coach.

"Julie has been doing an incredible job of offering encouragement and assistance to all the players by giving them the extra individual attention that is sometimes not possible for such a large team," Gober said.

Like a certain NBA star — now making a comeback in Washington — Shaner has been helping out with more than positive reinforcement and attention. Michael Jordan — while a part owner of the Wizards — was a frequent participant in team scrimmages.

"Julie also joins us on the field occasionally in practice, bringing with her the passion and intensity that she exhibited throughout her career here at Princeton," Gober said. "Her competitive spirit naturally raises the level of play every time she joins in with us."

How big a difference Shaner can make as a coach remains to be seen, but the Tigers seem to have picked up where the team from her senior season left off, shutting down opponents and sprinting out to a 4-0 start.

Their four-game shutout streak will be on the line again Friday, when the Columbia Lions visit Lourie-Love Field.