On Campus: Huntley alumna Deanna Hecht lives out passion on Eastern Illinois women’s soccer coaching staff

Long before Deanna Hecht stepped onto a college soccer field, she explained the game’s importance to her parents.

“I was probably 5 or 6 years old, and I sat them down at the kitchen table,” she said. “I said, ‘Soccer’s my passion. This is what I want to do. I don’t want to play any more sports.’”

Twenty years and a Division I career later, the game still tops Hecht’s priority list.

Last month, the 26-year-old Hecht – a Huntley graduate – began her new job as an assistant coach at Eastern Illinois, a school she played against during her career at Purdue-Fort Wayne.

“I remember the environment at Eastern was always positive,” she said. “It was always a competitive game. It certainly was appealing because I get to be near my family, and they can come out and watch some games.”

She played in more than 50 collegiate games before embarking on her coaching career at NJCAA College of Lake County, which advanced to nationals in 2019. The past two seasons, Hecht has worked as an assistant coach at D-III Illinois College in Jacksonville, west of Springfield.

For 2022-23, she was named to the United Soccer Coaches 30 Under 30 Class, which is a year-longer education and mentorship program designed to support young coaches.

Hecht said coaching has allowed her to maintain various aspects of her athletic career while driving personal and professional growth.

“It’s being able to still be competitive, to fuel the fire from being an athlete my entire life,” she said. “If you’re not continuing to adapt and grow, you lose touch with the groups [of athletes] coming through.”

Eastern (2-6-8 last season) will open the 2023 season with a new head coach – former assistant Dirk Bennett – Aug. 17 at Valparaiso.

“I was probably 5 or 6 years old, and I sat them down at the kitchen table. I said, ‘soccer’s my passion. This is what I want to do. I don’t want to play any more sports.’”

—  Deanna Hecht, Huntley alumna

For the athletes she coaches, Hecht wants to help them get the most out of their experience while also looking forward.

“I want them to evolve on the field as much as they want, whatever that looks like for each individual, and better prepare them for the real world,” she said. “Transitioning out of sport is difficult. If I can help in that kind of growth, I want to do that.”

Hecht said tearing an ACL during club season, which led to her missing her junior year at Huntley, then starting her college career recovering from a broken foot, were challenges that provided perspective.

“In that time frame, I learned to be a better leader. I learned to be a better teammate,” she said. “I learned to be able to deal with difficult situations and come out better.”

Despite the injuries, Hecht said playing the game at Huntley provided her with lifelong lessons.

“There are so many comparisons that you can draw from high school soccer and college soccer,” she said. “The ability to play for your school and in front of your friends, with a variety of age groups. Having to adapt to something that changes every single year.

“I value high school soccer so much,” she said.

Vollmert earns all-star nod: Crystal Lake South grad Nick Vollmert, who is pitching this summer with the Rockford Rivets, was chosen last week to play in the Northwoods League Great Lakes All-Star Game in Traverse City, Michigan.

The game, between the summer collegiate league’s East and West divisions, will air on ESPNU at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Vollmert is 3-0 with two saves for the Rivets, who are part of the Great Lakes East Division. He has a 3.11 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 37 2/3 innings. He pitched the past two seasons at NAIA St. Ambrose University.

In his latest start July 15, Vollmert struck out seven in five innings to earn the win during a 3-1 victory against the Battle Creek Battle Jacks.

Preseason honors for Keegan: Michigan offensive lineman Trevor Keegan was named the No. 4 guard in the nation and a first-team preseason All-Big Ten selection by the Lindy’s Sports college football preview magazine.

Keegan, a Crystal Lake South grad, has started the past two seasons at left guard for the Wolverines, who won the Joe Moore Award in back-to-back years as the top offensive line in college football.

The 6-foot-6, 305-pound Keegan has started 22 of the past 24 games at Michigan, which opens the season with a Sept. 2 home game against East Carolina.

• Barry Bottino writes about local college athletes for the Northwest Herald. Write to him at barryoncampus@hotmail.com and follow @BarryOnCampus on Twitter.