Emily Stepanek tabbed new Shawano girls soccer coach

Emily Stepanek was hired as the new varsity girls soccer coach at Shawano Community High School.

The announcement was made in a press release Aug. 5. Stepanek will take over for Bob Croschere.

“I enjoyed playing the game myself and look forward to not only being a part of this great program, but to also be able to challenge both myself and the girls to reach new heights in the girls soccer program,” said Stepanek.

She played soccer at St. Norbert College, helping the team to its first ever NCAA Tournament berth in 2014.

Stepanek attended and went on to serve as a coach for the Start to Finish Soccer Camp at The Prairie School in Racine, where she grew up and attended high school. Athletes ranging from ages 5-18 take part in the camp.

She also has coaching experience for basketball teams in Shawano, leading teams at Sacred Heart Catholic School — where Stepanek also teaches fourth grade — and with the Shawano Hoops program.

The new coach said she’d been looking for an opportunity to lead a soccer program, so she was thrilled to see the Shawano position open.

“My team will be built on respect, hard word and dedication,” said Stepanek, who hopes to infuse some of the hard work, discipline and team building she encountered while playing for St. Norbert within the high school program.

“Coach Stepanek has a strong passion for the game of soccer and for mentoring the athletes that she coaches,” Shawano athletic director Joel Wondra said in the press release. “She has high expectations for her players, both on and off the field, and she demonstrates a very competitive mindset.”

Croschere served as the girls coach for eight years. He also stepped down as the boys soccer coach, a position he held for 13 years.

Croschere said he stepped away from coaching so that he could spend more time with his family, which includes 9-year-old twins.

He wasn’t able to coach the team this past spring after the coronavirus pandemic canceled the season.

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