REBECCA CLYDE:I got to catch up with Syracuse University’s assistant women’s soccer coach, Brandon DeNoyer.
I noticed two things about Brandon.
He’s a pretty good teacher
And has a lot of skill
See, Brandon has been playing soccer since he could walk and comes from a family chocked full of elite soccer players. He also has thousands of followers who support him on social media, where he posts daily.
So I got to kicking with him to find out more about his passion.
BRANDON DENOYER:I want to like help kids get to college, like show them the school, show them what we have, and all that. And that’s how I kinda like knew I wanted to like stay in the game forever.
REBECCA CLYDE:I’m no soccer star myself but I figured someone needed to challenge him.
I knew his athletes had been put through the ringer but I felt like I could deny some of his shots.
I struggled initially, but It didn’t take long for me to lock in.
Brandon was less appreciative of my skills.
I decided we needed to swap roles to see who the pro footballer is.
It probably all came down to this shot.
Truly a life defining moment for me, and a great day overall.
Rebecca Clyde, NCC Sports.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — Brandon DeNoyer, assistant coach of Syracuse University’s women’s soccer team, has a strong love for soccer.
Growing up around the game, he watched as his parents embraced the sport and his aunt played on a men’s college team.
The game of soccer was always special to him, but he didn’t realize he wanted to coach until he was being recruited.
During arguably the most crucial stage of securing a college offer, DeNoyer was diagnosed with cancer. Though DeNoyer said he didn’t get many offers because of his illness, SUNY Old Westbury heavily recruited him.
He said this recruitment process inspired him to help young athletes just like those coaches had helped him.
To fully experience his passion, I challenged DeNoyer to a shoot-out. I wanted to see what skills he had and why he connects with so many people both on the team and online, where he has thousands of followers on social media.
DeNoyer said he encourages a fun environment with his athletes but still hold them accountable. I definitely witnessed this principle.
