The soccer field has always felt like home to Alex McGonigle.
And her family home sometimes felt like a soccer field.
Her father, Tim McGonigle, is a longtime assistant soccer coach at Father Judge High School, where her younger brother Luke McGonigle now stars.
“Once August hits, the conversations at the dinner table consist purely of soccer,” McGonigle said. “Whether it’s about tactics, practices and games, my dad, brother and I are talking about the topic of soccer.”
McGonigle, a star player herself and now head coach of St. Hubert’s junior varsity soccer team, has plenty to add to the conversation.
“My brother is a junior and is actively pursuing to win a Catholic League championship and I’m working on doing the same over at St. Hubert’s,” McGonigle said. “It would really be a dream come true to have my dad, brother and I come to the dinner table with a championship.”
For McGonigle, coaching at her alma mater was always in the plans. She just didn’t expect it to be at St. Hubert’s.
McGonigle started high school at St. Basil’s, where she felt right at home at school and on the soccer team.
But the school’s closure during her time there forced her to find a new home.
The heartbroken McGonigle decided on St. Hubert for her senior year.
She didn’t know what to expect at her new school. She certainly didn’t expect to find another home-away-from-home.
“Right off the bat St. Hubert’s felt like home,” McGonigle said. “I connected with my soccer teammates and became close with my classmates instantaneously.
“It definitely wasn’t easy starting over but I was lucky enough to have a great new support system.”
After graduating high school in 2021, McGonigle played soccer at Holy Family University and will be going back to school in the next year to pursue an education degree.
While coaching was always a part of her plans, she didn’t expect to find the perfect opportunity so quickly.
“Coaching at my alma mater has always been a dream,” McGonigle said. “Even when I was at St. Basil’s, I wanted to return and coach there. I always thought it would be later down the line but when I was asked to come back (to St. Hubert’s) I immediately took advantage of the opportunity.
“I mean, when your dream job has given you an offer, you’re going to want to take it as soon as possible.”
McGonigle’s father played a big role in her desire to coach.
Northeast Philly is a soccer hotbed and there are many legendary coaches who have graced the sidelines. McGonigle loves the game, but she knows it’s a lot of work.
But a labor of love.
“My dad was my coach growing up and it was obvious how much he loved it,” McGonigle said. “Soccer has always been a part of my life, but in reality, I’m not going to play competitively forever but I wanted to be around the sport but in a different form. He used to always say, ‘It’s a different type of fun.’ ”
McGonigle has certainly been having fun since her return to St. Hubert.
“(The best part of coaching) is just being around the girls and seeing them interact,” McGonigle said. “It brings me back not too long ago when I was just like them.
“Soccer is more than just a sport, it’s a place where you really connect with your teammates and enjoy the time you have with one another. While I’m thrilled to be in this position. I’d give anything to have one more day with my St. Hubert’s teammates.”
The fact that McGonigle was playing on that same field just four years ago has helped her connect with her players.
“I know the exact stress and worry that they’re feeling,” McGonigle said. “That’s why in my practices I plan on incorporating fun into my fitness. It’s important to be prepared and in shape but I want to find ways to make the intense work more enjoyable.”
As happy as she is at St. Hubert’s, McGonigle will never forget her time at St. Basil.
After being named a team captain for her lone year playing at St. Hubert, McGonigle found a way to honor her previous school.
“At St. Basil we would always put our left hands in and the captain that year would say, ‘Left hands in, closer to your heart,’ ” said McGonigle, whose new teammates were happy to embrace the new mantra. “When I left I assumed it would be forgotten, but on the first day of tryouts when senior Luca D’Andrea said, ‘Left hands in,’ I was so happy and proud to have left something behind that honors my old school and takes me back to a time in my life where I made a difference.”
Now, McGonigle is making a difference in the lives of the student-athletes she coaches.
“I’m actively looking for ways to find the best opportunities for our girls.” said McGonigle. “It’s also amazing to see that some things haven’t changed since I’ve left.
“A nun at St. Basil used to always say, ‘Always leave things better than you found it, especially people.’ It’s a motto I try to live by and hope I can continue to as a coach.”
