Team Mentality
Steph Smyrl stopped playing DI soccer years ago. But she still very much thinks, and acts, like a team player.
“I’ve never moved away from being part of a team,” said the associate dean for campus life and director of athletics at Emerson. “I really enjoy the leadership aspect of being in athletics administration. I find great joy in being part of [that] team.”
Smyrl oversees the College’s staff of athletic administrators as well as the coaches of the College’s 14 varsity sports. She works closely with coaches and student-athletes to make sure they have what they need to be successful at Emerson.
“Everyone [on the Athletics staff] has that sense of knowing we have a job to do and it’s directly related to making sure our student-athletes are having the best possible experience,” Smyrl said. “Whatever their goals are, let’s make sure they’re being supported.”
That unconditional support has helped student-athletes thrive at Emerson—both on the playing field and in the classroom. In fact, student-athletes perform better academically when they’re in season. “[It’s] because they hone in on their time management skills. It’s why they’re so marketable when they graduate,” she said. “To be a student-athlete here, your commitment to your academics and athletics absolutely go hand in hand.”
Looking ahead, Smyrl said she hopes to build on the strong foundation and reengage even more alumni who were student-athletes at Emerson. Additionally, Athletics is exploring the feasibility of adding more sports to their offerings. “We’ve had success in the NEWMAC (New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference) and we want to build on that,” Smyrl said.
Smyrl joined Emerson in 2023, following the retirement of Pat Nicol, who led Athletics for 10 years. Prior to Emerson, Smyrl was director of athletics at Lesley University and also worked in Athletics at the former Wheelock College. She began her coaching career at Endicott College, where she coached women’s soccer for two years and where she earned an MBA. She holds a BA in English from Stony Brook University, where she was a four-year member of the women’s soccer team.
At Emerson, like at all the places she’s worked, Smyrl said she especially enjoys connecting one-on-one with students to hear about their successes, their challenges, and everything in between. “There’s something about the beautiful growing pains of being a college student,” she said. “You can be that college student-athlete who stumbles and makes mistakes, but your family in athletics will always support you.”
