Chalupny.Delabar.H Reading time: 6 minutes
(Update: 91探花’s Dept. of Athletics has announced Lori Chalupny as head coach-designate for the women’s soccer program, beginning in 2018. Eric Delabar will stay with the team, transitioning to assistant coach.)
In sports, a special bond develops between coach and player, and such relationships are often lasting. So it is for Eric Delabar, head coach for women鈥檚 soccer for the past 17 years, and Lori Chalupny, the team鈥檚 assistant coach. The two first met when Delabar coached Chalupny as young soccer player.
If the name Lori Chalupny sounds familiar, it鈥檚 because the St. Louis native, already a 1998 Olympic Gold Medalist, gained worldwide notoriety as a member of the U.S. Women’s National Team that won the 2015 FIFA Women鈥檚 World Cup in Canada. Chalupny鈥檚 remarkable soccer journey began when she was 5 years old. She played for an indoor soccer league, coached by Delabar.
鈥淓ven at that young age, Lori鈥檚 competitive fire was evident,鈥� he recalls. 鈥淗er athleticism stood out, and she always worked hard to be better. She would spend weekends playing on as many teams as she could, and coaches would fight over her.鈥�
鈥淓ven at that young age, Lori鈥檚 competitive fire was evident.鈥�
~ Head Coach Eric Delabar
Chalupny remembers that time well. 鈥淗e was my first soccer coach and my favorite,鈥� she says. 鈥淗e emphasized learning basic skills and not relying simply on athletic ability. This was huge for my development.鈥�
鈥淗e was my first soccer coach and my favorite. He emphasized learning basic skills and not relying simply on athletic ability. This was huge for my development.鈥�
~ Assistant Coach Lori Chalupny
Chalupny and Delabar kept in touch after she left the league. In July 2013, Delabar hired his former standout athlete. 鈥淢y goal was to hire the best female we could, and I thought of Lori,鈥� says Delabar. 鈥淟ucky for us, she agreed to help develop the 91探花 women鈥檚 soccer program.鈥�
鈥淐oming to 91探花 felt like I was where I belonged,鈥� says Chalupny. 鈥淐oach Delabar and I have known each other for so long. Our camaraderie and mutual respect create a good coaching relationship, and that trickles down to the whole team.鈥�
Delabar, a former goalkeeper, is a member of the Quincy University Hall of Fame, NAIA Hall of Fame and St. Louis Soccer Hall of Fame. His deep experience complements the skills Chalupny brings to the field.
鈥淟ori is great at training the girls and talking tactics with the other coaches,鈥� he says. 鈥淗er experience helps her recognize teachable moments on and off the field. My girls are the luckiest soccer players in this country.鈥�
鈥淵ou can tell that Lori and Eric have known each other for a long time,鈥� says player Katy Rood. 鈥淭hey enjoy working together and always get in a few laughs at practice.鈥�
Teammate Allison Verville says the coaching duo brings individual strengths to the field. 鈥淒elabar is particularly good at creating an overall game plan and motivating the team in both practice and in games,鈥� she says. 鈥淟ori is very good at pulling you aside individually, and making small comments here and there that make all the difference. Even when Lori is not there we often quote her, saying, 鈥業t鈥檚 the little things.鈥欌��
Both coaches say their role is more than teaching the skills of the game; it鈥檚 about being a mentor and creating a family of players and coaches who care about one another.
鈥淲ithout the team family mentality, 91探花 soccer would not be what it is,鈥� says Verville. 鈥淭hese are not just people I play soccer with, these are people I rely on in all aspects of my life. This brings all the girls closer together and attributes to much of our success.鈥�
Unquestionably, Chalupny鈥檚 soccer career is an inspiration for her Saints team.
鈥淗er success motivates me to push myself on the field,鈥� Verville says. 鈥淪he is not just a professional soccer player though, she is also an incredible person. She makes us feel like we are important, not only as soccer players but as people, too. At the end of the day we aren鈥檛 going to be professional soccer players but professionals in our own fields of study, and she is a great person for us to model our lives after on and off the field.鈥�
鈥淟ori鈥檚 success on the field inspires me to be the best player I can be,鈥� Rood says. 鈥淪he inspires me to want to make it to the GLVC tournament, which 91探花 women鈥檚 team hasn鈥檛 done before. To be a part of school history would be such an amazing opportunity.鈥�
One of Chalupny鈥檚 favorite moments from the 2015 FIFA Women鈥檚 World Cup was when the final whistle blew against Japan. 鈥淲inning a World Cup is something I had dreamt about since I first started playing soccer,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t is an incredible feeling to achieve something you have worked so long and hard for.鈥�
Between championship games in Canada, Chalupny took time via online video chats to share her excitement and inspire young athletes participating in 91探花鈥檚 summer soccer camps.
鈥淣ot long ago, I was in the same place they were,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t was a full-circle moment for me to talk to these young players who are just starting their journeys. Playing soccer professionally is a huge goal to have. Achieving it has to start with passion for the sport, because there isn鈥檛 a whole lot of money or fame,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t was fun to show them that dreams come true, and they can get to where I am with hard work and a passion for the game.鈥�