Travis McCorkle enters his 13^th season at the helm of the Angelo State University women's soccer team in the fall of 2020. Under his leadership, McCorkle has become the winningest coach in Angelo State history and has led the Rambelle soccer team to four Lone Star Conference Championships, 11 10-plus win seasons, and five NCAA postseason appearances. He has guided the Belles to a 139-77-21 overall record and an 83-44-11 LSC record. Sixty-one ASU players have earned All-LSC postseason recognition, including first-team and repeat midfielder of the year selection Avery McNeme.

We had the opportunity to sit down and talk with Coach McCorkle about his career and what he does in his free time.

Q: How did you get involved in coaching?
A: I got into coaching by accident. I was thrown into it in college since there was no varsity team just a club team. I was going to school to be in criminal justice to be a DEA agent and I was not enjoying it anymore. I went home one summer and the city recreation department asked me to run a soccer camp. I enjoyed the camp and working with the kids so I decided to go back to school and pursue an education degree and coaching.
 
Q: What is your favorite soccer memory, either coaching, playing or both?
A: One memory would be the time I took the 2015 team to Spain. There was more than one memory during this trip but the whole trip and how when the girls left they talked about it all the time

and it changed their lives. I think getting them outside the US and experiencing a different culture and how much soccer is involved in the community. Almost everyone you talked to had a connection to soccer in some way. It was amazing to see how passionate they were about it. We stayed in a hotel on the beach and the girls had commented on how small the rooms and showers were. The whole trip was pretty amazing though and you could see how the girls shifted their mentality on the world. They had a bigger picture on what the world looked like. 

Q: What do you like most about Angelo State?
A: There are a lot of things that I love about Angelo State and San Angelo. Everybody always says the people and I really do love the people I work with. I like the fact that Angelo State and the people that come here are not just a number. The professors really know the players and students by name. They will let us know if someone is struggling. The professors really want to help. The camaraderie is a strong aspect between athletics and the academics. We really want to make the best impact on the students as best we can. I love the support that we get. 
 
Q: What do you like most about coaching and why?
A: It's about the players in all different kinds of ways. We had a player, Sierra Anderson, who graduated in 2015. She was from Wichita Falls who I believed had potential. I brought her in and I was able to watch her grow and develop on the field and as a person. I remember spending part of a summer tutoring her for her Spanish. She became a great success story as she became our first ever All-American and is now a teacher here in San Angelo. Just the connection with the players and watching them develop and be successful are the reasons on why I do what I do.
 
Q: What advice would you give to prospective student-athletes when it comes to choosing a place to play sports at the collegiate level?
A: I think they need to have a conversation with their families and ask these questions, "What do you want to do academically?" Some kids don't know and base decisions off of how much scholarship they are receiving and some schools aren't the right fit. You certainly want the students and parents to discuss it. Sometimes the location of the university matters. When you are playing, "are your parents able to come and watch you?" "Can family and friends come and support you?" These things are important. The safety and convenience factor is another factor. You can get anywhere in 10 minutes or less here in San Angelo. The other is safety, when the news is on, it's a positive moment and not crime.

Angelo State athletics has established an incredible relationship with the professors that each sport has a Faculty Athletic Associate (FAA). Adam Parker is the new FAA for soccer and we were able to talk with him about how he is involved with the soccer program to help bridge the gap between athletics and academics.

Q: What is your position with Angelo State and what department do you work in?
A: I am an Associate Professor of Kinesiology.
 
Q: What exactly is a faculty athletic associate, what does it mean to you, and why do you do it?
A: I feel that a faculty rep should provide support in whatever way they are best capable of. I would like to help out by providing academic and/or nutrition counseling to the soccer team. I feel that helping out in our community in any way we can is a good use of our time. It feels nice to help others out.
 
Q: How did you get connected or what made you choose women's soccer as your sport?
A: I have been measuring the body composition of the soccer team for several years now and have been giving the team nutrition advice on an annual basis.
 
Q: How long have you been a faculty associate for women's soccer?
A: I was a faculty rep for women's track and field, but never had an opportunity to get involved. A couple of months ago, Travis mentioned that they were losing their faculty associate and asked if I would like to take over.
 
Q: What insight can you give us in regards to Coach McCorkle and his leadership?
A: As a teacher, I have had numerous soccer players in my courses. The girls' are always excellent students and polite in the classroom. Interacting with the team in the kinesiology laboratory has also given me insight into the player's personalities and behavior. I feel that Travis does an excellent job recruiting players that are not only good athletes, but also good students/people. That reflects well on him in my opinion.
 
Coach McCorkle's Comments on his FAA:

"Our FAA rep has been great.  He and his family have invited the girls over during preseason for ice cream and games.  He also served as our game day announcer and ran the scoreboard.  Lastly, he serves as a connection of our program to other faculty and vice versa.  It's a way to humanize our student athletes and everything they experience throughout the year.  Our girls have a lot to manage with their time and responsibilities.  Our FAA rep is a very positive addition to our soccer program."
 
We also want to give a quick introduction to the Assistant Soccer coach Harold Muñoz, who plays such a great supporting role for head coach McCorkle. Muñoz will enter his fourth season as the assistant coach in the fall of 2020. Muñoz handles all areas of the program: coaching, recruiting, game planning, scouting, and video. In 2018, he helped guide the Belles to its first ever Lone Star Conference Tournament Championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. In his first season, Muñoz helped lead ASU to a regular season LSC Conference Championship and a first round appearance at the NCAA Tournament.

The Angelo State women's soccer team will be back in action this fall. For all the latest news, check out angelosports.com, Twitter at AngeloAthletics, and Facebook at AngeloStateSports.