By Dylan Butler
While we struggled with many of the All-Queens selections in both the CHSAA and the PSAL, picking Andy Kostell as CHSAA Soccer Coach of the Year was a no-brainer.
In his 26th year as Molloy soccer coac,h Kostell finally won the elusive CHSAA state title in the Stanners’ third try. And to honor the occasion Kostell flashed a rare smile.
But just winning the title didn’t solidify him as our coach of the year.
Kostell, who has also won 10 city championships, has a unique coaching style which stresses the team concept while highlighting individual efforts. When a player walks off the field for a substitution, they are instantly greeted by Kostell, who pulls aside the player and speaks to them one-on-one.
“He has a great style. You could be out on the field and your head might not be in the game, but when you walk off the field, he calms you down,” said Molloy senior defender T.J. O’Leary. “He makes you think about what’s going on in the game.”
While he rarely grins during the season and often raises his voice during games, his players say Kostell seldom embarrasses them and he treats each player with respect.
“It’s definitely a different style, but it works,” said senior forward/defender Keith Hahn. “He comes straight out and tells you what he thinks.”
Before games and at halftime, Kostell again has a different coaching strategy. While many of his opponents talk to their teams as one big unit, Kostell speaks to his team by position; the defenders and goalkeepers; midfielders and finally the forwards.
“It’s a good method because he tell us what we’re doing wrong and what we’re doing right but he never criticizes us badly,” said junior forward Sal Silaco. “He criticizes us for our own good. He tell us our mistakes, but he does it to improve ourselves.”
According to O’Leary, even Kostell’s practices are bit off from the norm.
“The way he runs practice, it’s not all about running,” he said. “He works running into drills which is very beneficial to the team. We’re very well trained.”
Some of Kostell’s best coaching came after the Stanners fell 4-0 to Farrell in the city championship game. Despite what could have been a crushing defeat, Kostell kept his team’s spirits up and Molloy rebounded with over St. Joseph from Buffalo and St. John the Baptist.
