CHARLESTON, S.C. - The College of Charleston women's soccer team and head coach Christian Michner have announced Henry Zapata as the team's new assistant coach.
"Coming to Charleston will be a great move for me as I begin my coaching career," said Zapata. "I couldn't have landed anywhere better. I'm getting the opportunity to work at a great school in a great location with a great coaching staff."
His job duties will entail developing goalkeepers, administering full-team and individual training sessions, editing video and scouting of our opponents as well as serving as the main contact for the Center Circle Club, which leads CofC women's soccer's fundraising efforts.
"We had over two hundred people apply for this position and really went into the process with an open mind hoping to find someone with really unique qualities and characteristics to bring to our program," said Michner. "There were many excellent candidates and it was evident pretty quickly that Henry would be a great fit for College of Charleston women's soccer.
"His experience coaching goalkeepers at every level as well as working in a highly successful environment at University of Illinois made him an obvious choice."
Zapata joins the Cougars as a goalkeeper specialist from the University of Illinois where he served as a volunteer assistant coach with the women's soccer team. In that capacity, Zapata assisted in all areas of team training, practice and competition and worked closely with the support staff to maximize student-athlete performance as well as development and academic success. He was also highly involved in on-campus recruiting functions as well as editing video content for development and analysis.
"Henry was given tremendous responsibilities during his tenure at Illinois and I know that his experience there will make a huge difference for College of Charleston women's soccer as this program moves forward," said Michner. "He's a bright young coach with a great future ahead of him and we are all excited to have Henry join us!"
Zapata earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees from Illinois in Broadcast Journalism and Sport Management, respectively.
Zapata has also served as the head coach and goalkeeper trainer of the Little Illini Soccer Club of Champaign, Ill., since 2007. With the club, Zapata has created and executed team training plans for boys and girls aged U14-U18. He also coordinated travel and roster accommodations as well as provided leadership opportunities for players within the community.
From 2005-2008, he served as the boys assistant varsity coach and goalkeeper trainer at University Laboratory High School in Urbana, Ill., where he administered conditioning and both technical and tactical training for all goalkeepers in the program.
He is accredited as a coach with the USSF National "D" License and NSCAA Advanced Regional Diploma.
"I'm very happy that Mich [Michner] and the administration are giving me this chance to come and help the development of this program," said Zapata. "I hope to have an immediate impact within the program by helping individuals develop on and off the field and helping this coaching staff make the program into a premier national program.
"I'm looking forward to helping us become a contender not only on the conference level but on the national stage as well. I'm extremely excited to be a part of this family!"
