FROM STUDENT-ATHLETE TO INSPIRATIONAL COACH

MAGGIE DANIEL ’07

• Assistant Varsity Girls’ Soccer Coach

• Boys’ and Girls’ Goalkeeper Coach

• Grade 4 Assistant Teacher

Maggie Daniel ’07, a Country Day lifer, has worked at the school as an assistant teacher and coach for 10 years. “I am very fortunate to be able to work with not only Lower Schoolers in the classroom, but Middle Schoolers and Upper Schoolers on the field,” she says. “As a coach, there is nothing more fulfilling than helping continue to build a program that you played in as a student-athlete.”

Maggie was the goalkeeper for the Bucs during her days as a student, and today, she serves as both the Varsity Girls’ Soccer assistant coach, as well as the girls’ goalkeeper coach for the entire seventh through twelfth grade program, as well as for the Boys’ Upper School program.

“Goalkeeping is a very specialized position, so it makes sense that as we build a comprehensive program, we focus on bringing players up and along at all levels. The work we put in with the Middle School keepers will benefit the JV and varsity teams,” she says.

Maggie likens the way she coaches goalkeepers to the way she approaches lessons with her fourth graders. “Just because you know how to do something yourself, doesn’t necessarily mean you know how to teach other people to do it,” says Maggie. “I remember when I first started coaching, I struggled to teach the players how to make a breakaway save. So, I put in the time watching videos and watching other coaches teach it. I figured out how to break it down in a way the keepers could understand and execute themselves. Just like in the classroom, you can always improve the way you deliver content.”

“Whether there is a tough opponent on the soccer field or a challenging math equation, working hard and giving it your all teaches the value of perseverance.”

And just as she does with her fourth graders, Maggie recognizes that every student-athlete is different and a seventh grader just starting out needs different coaching than a senior headed to a collegiate program. “I want to make the time I have with each player worthwhile. That means strategically planning each session to benefit each goalkeeper, regardless of experience level.”

No matter the level, she encourages her players to focus on the fundamentals. “It might not be flashy, but if you put in the work, if you get the fundamental techniques down and understand positioning in the goal, every other part of goalkeeping—the flying saves, the flashy saves—will come easier.”

She says athletics also provides life lessons that coincide with the ones she is teaching in the classroom. “Did you try your best? That’s something I say to my students all the time,” Maggie shares. “Whether there is a tough opponent on the soccer field or a challenging math equation, working hard and giving it your all teaches the value of perseverance. Another big component of both the classroom and athletics is teamwork. Learning how to work with others, whether or not you connect on a personal level, is a necessary life skill.”

For Maggie, seeing it all click for her players is what she loves most about coaching. “We always believe that they can do it, but they need to believe it, too. So, when you see them progress from season to season, when they’ve put in the hard work, when they’ve overcome a struggle, it’s an extra layer of enjoyment to be a part of this game that means so much to me.”