‘Soccer is More Than a Game to Me; It’s a Passion’
The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) welcomes Nina Duron of Stafford, Virginia, as new head coach for the Hawk’s Women’s Soccer team. “Soccer is more than a game to me, it’s a passion, and I hope to continue building that love of the game in our athletes,” Duron said.
Duron is no stranger to CSM athletics, having served as the assistant/goalkeeper coach for the team last season, when she helped lead the Hawks to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Regional Tournament. That experience gives Duron a clear vision of what her goals need to be for the team for the 2018 season.
“We need to bring in new talent. We graduated the majority of our team last year, so we have a lot of shoes to fill,” Duron said. “Second, we will aim to improve upon our previous record … Our challenge, at this point, is to get everyone on the same page with the same mission. We will have a young roster. The challenge for them will be adjusting to this next level of the game.”
To this challenge, Duron brings a wealth of soccer experience as a college-level player, trainer and coach before coming to CSM. She is currently a head coach for Lee Mount Vernon Sports Club. She has more than five years of coaching experience, seven years of experience as a trainer as well as college-level playing experience as a goalkeeper, when she was awarded AWCC Soccer Newcomer of the Year.
Duron holds two diplomas through the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) — Special Topics, National Goalkeeping, and Advanced National Goalkeeping (pending), and also holds a USSF “D” license.
She graduated from Brooke Point High School and has an associate degree from Northern Virginia Community College.
As head coach for CSM Women’s Soccer, Duron will be assisted by Gary Knight. “We are strong, in that the coaching staff are equally committed to create and develop a successful team,” Duron said. “The returning players will provide leadership as well.”
For information on Women’s Soccer at CSM, visit http://www.csmd.edu/employment.