August 3, 2022 By Mark Blaudschun
In a few weeks, it will all come into much sharper focus for Mary-Frances Monroe.
A team meeting with the Hingham High girls soccer team members, most of whom she has known for the past few years.
Then it will be the start of practice, school, and a soccer season which left Hingham a frustrated victory short of a Division 1 state title a year ago.
But then it will also be different, another challenge for the kid from Long Island, who grew up with visions of being a star in her head and then lived out her dreams.
Four-time All-American midfielder at the University of Connecticut and then UCLA.
Next level, more success, a professional career, which included a stop with the Boston Breakers.
But even as a player, Monroe wanted more.
Not having an inflated ego helped the transition.
"I just don't have an ego,'' said Monroe with a laugh this week, as she juggles a life that includes four year old Sadie and her wife Sarah Dacey, who left Hingham this spring to take over the coaching role in women's lacrosse and soccer at Curry College. ''I like developing players. I have coached at the high school, club, college, and pro levels. It doesn't matter what level. It's all about developing talent.''
When Monroe's playing career was over, she transitioned into coaching with the University of Albany, which is as far away from the bright lights and big cities of UCLA and the Breakers as you can find.
"It was challenging,'' said Monroe, "but I could relate to the players. I knew what they were thinking because I was one of them, but there wasn't that success yet. They had to learn how to deal with that.
"I also knew that if I wanted to, I could still go out on the field as a player and crush them, which was fun at times." (Yes, she does have an ego).
From Albany, Monroe morphed the job into a higher level at the University of Miami. But there were other considerations.
Monroe and Dacey wanted to start a family, and Dacey's coaching career was also moving upward.
When she left Hingham, Dacey had a career record of 32-2-2, which would be a challenge, except that for the past few years, Monroe, who had taken on a new role as the commissioner of the Development Player League, a program for 13 to 19 year old girls to develop their schools, was also helping Dacey with the coaching.
Hingham athletic director Jim Quatromoni said it was an easy move to make the coaching switch. "100 percent easy,'' he said.
"We are so fortunate to have MF and Sarah working with our girls.''
Monroe says the transition has been virtually seamless.
"It has been easier since I've been around the past few years,'' said Monroe.
Monroe knows what she has at Hingham, a program with players who can compete at the highest level in college.
But she also has walked that walk before, which will be part of her coaching philosophy.
"I feel I'm an educator,'' said Monroe. "It's going to be fun, working with these girls and having them develop their leadership skills as well.''
Monroe did concede that their household will be soccer-centric this fall. "With both of us coaching and Sadie starting to play soccer, it's going to be crazy.''