Behind the Athlete: McClellan leads team more like a peer than Union general By Tim Sparks
Bowie native Sarah McClellan comes with a complete soccer resume.
The new Binghamton University women's soccer skipper attended the University of Maryland where she played for, and excelled under, U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame member and World Cup champion Shannon Higgins-Chirovski. With guidance from such a legend of the sport, McClellan helped the Terps advance to two NCAA tournaments.
Her playing days did not end in college, however, as McClellan excelled in the semi-pro W-League and in the Women's Professional Soccer League. In 2005, McClellan was named to the WPSL All-Stars First Team.
And this soccer coach is certainly no dummy. In addition to her on-field exploits, McClellan is quite the intellect. In fact, if McClellan ever wanted to give up soccer to enter the field of science, she has the necessary background to make it happen. She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland in biochemistry - really.
"I've kind of chosen my direction (soccer), but I've always loved biochemistry," McClellan said. "I think having that background helps me in soccer because you have to be very analytical and detail-oriented. It probably helps me more than I realize."
Given McClellan's love for the game of soccer, the young coach will, at least in the foreseeable future, solely make exclusive use of her master's degree in physical education. That's just fine with her Bearcat players, who are anxious to see what their former assistant coach can do as the head coach.
One of the coaching strengths any decent coach can rely on is the knowledge she obtained from actually playing the game. It wasn't long ago that McClellan was donning a soccer uniform and lacing her cleats, so that game-day feeling is still fresh in her mind, which helps her relate to her squad.
"I think it helps a ton," McClellan said. "It's what makes me a better coach. It's a huge advantage. Not only does it help me relate to them as student-athletes, but also in on-field situations. I think that comes across during games."
Another advantage McClellan will enjoy during her first season as the Binghamton head coach is her familiarity with returning players. She spent the previous two seasons as the team's lead assistant coach, and she plans on taking advantage of the camaraderie she has formed with the team. Fortunately for McClellan, she doesn't have to think about many of the concerns that normally come with being handed the proverbial keys to the car.
"I think (the familiarity is) an advantage for myself and for the players," said McClellan, who returns to Maryland every other year to take on the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. "It's been a really smooth transition so far. I don't need to analyze what we need to do. I already had things in mind ... I just want us to improve on what we've started."
While McClellan may have inherited a slightly less strenuous promotion than many other coaches, don't be fooled; she realizes there are many challenges ahead. Fortunately, McClellan is the type of coach who looks at challenges with excitement. "We are all very competitive," she said. "There is no fear or nervousness at all (and) we just want to have fun and compete."
The Bearcats struggled during the 2007 season, tallying a 3-12-4 record, but managed to advance to the America East Championship semifinals. Many of the players from that team have graduated, and McClellan is looking forward to ushering in a new era with new players at Binghamton.
"This preseason will be our first and biggest test," McClellan said. "Our goal is to come together as a team; a big chunk of the team is new, so we are just hoping to gel and get a good jump-start on the season … the rest of the (coaching) staff and I like challenges."
