After 24 years at the helm of the Plattsburgh State women’s soccer team, Karen Waterbury has stepped down and taken the role of the assistant director of recreational sports here at PSUC.
Waterbury said the reason behind her stepping down from her position was that she was ready for a change. After being a coach for 27 years at both Clinton Community college and here at PSUC, she wanted to do something different.
In her new position, Waterbury has what she calls her “pet projects,” which she said she hopes will get kids active on campus.
“I would like to get a sand volleyball court one if not two again it is a work in progress of trying to find a space, find the capital, find interest if we have to do that,” Waterbury said. “I have pet projects of getting bicycles on campus and working with some individuals on campus who are interested in doing that and having a free bike rental program for our students.”
Waterbury also hopes that skiing, getting more usage out of the pool and getting people on campus the things they want will be implemented on campus. Another important thing for Waterbury is getting kids outside and reacting in the fall, which she said is beautiful.
“You know community runs for the students,” Waterbury said. “All of it is student driven if the interest is there, as well as supporting the students with their needs.”
Waterbury also believes that getting involved in recreational sports will help the students here on campus to be able to meet people, relieve stress and a great way to have fun.
Coming in to replace Waterbury as the head coach of women’s soccer is Tania Armellino. She decided to take the position because she used to vacation all the time on her family farm in Ellensburg. and she said she loves Plattsburgh.
“My family is from Milford, Connecticut, but we have been coming up for family vacations for the last eight years, so I have been on the campus, love the area and that’s kind of been our vacation spot,” Armellino said.
“So when I saw it was open, I was like, ‘Aw, the school is fantastic, I love the area. I’m going to apply.’”
Armellino previously worked as an assistant women’s soccer coach at Connecticut College for three years and helped rebuild the program under Norm Riker. Before that she worked at the University of Dayton for three years as an assistant, giving her a total of eight years of assistant coaching experience.
This will be her first year as a head soccer coach and she believes it will be a great opportunity.
New assistant coach Frantzy Noze is also excited to be able to work with Armellino because he has worked with her in the past while working at Connecticut, and the two share a long relationship.
“We know each other, she is a great coach,” she said. “Back during her playing career, she was a defender, I was an offensive player, so both of us combine together.
“She is great,” Noze said “She knows how to motivate the team and I have seen her work before at the club level, and I think she can do well at the college level as a head coach.”
