Dimitri Tsoukalas is the head coach of both the men and the women’s soccer teams.

Q: So, first of all, tell me about your experiences with ECC so far.

A:Yeah, it’s been a unique experience. For context, I’ve been at other colleges prior to being here. All local schools for the most part. So I grew up in this area, but I’ve known about ECC for a really long time. I’ve known it’s a good academic school and a great location for student athletes to be able to continue to showcase their abilities on and off the field.

Q: So last year you coached the men’s team to a really impressive 15-4-3 record. What are your expectations for this year and why?

A: For our captains, our staff, for us, it’s to reach the national tournament. I think it was three minutes away from winning the final, winning the regional championship. And we were a bit of an underdog last year. Now, it’s about getting to that point and maintaining the status quo we’ve established, regionally and nationally. So it’s getting to that point, to the final. Then it’s getting past that threshold and reaching the national tournament, which it’s a different animal once you get to that point.

Q: To reach that goal, what kind of coaching philosophy do you use?

A: I would say my mentality is pretty intense, because I feel the team needs a little more discipline and structure. So I’ve been a lot more hands-on this year than I normally would like to be as a coach. But we just take it game by game. To me it’s the only way to go about this.

Q: So I’ll transition over to the women’s team. They also did well. They finished with a 9-7 record. What, as a coach, what positive things did you notice about them last year?

A: Overall growth. For context, there wasn’t a team for the last 2 or 3 seasons, so we had to rebuild. Our expectation was that since we were a young team, our games would be a learning experience. Now, this team is so much stronger than it was last year. And a lot of it has to do with the returners but also newcomers. Also, I try to hold them to the same standard that I do the men’s team. They’re both competitive and hungry programs and it makes it a lot of fun.

Q: Last question. If you could give a message to anyone trying to become a better coach, what would it be?

A: Take it all in, be willing to learn and leave your ego aside. I’ve been fortunate to be around some really strong leaders, some really strong coaches. I’ve taken a lot from them. Also a good thing to tell your players is to have fun. Cause if you’re not having fun, it’s not worth doing. The journey of being a coach is a fun one, but it’s a challenging one too.