Alton High School girls soccer coach Laura Ridolfi has resigned her position to take a full-time role with the St. Louis Scott Gallagher soccer program.
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"I am very excited about this new job opportunity that I've been given," she said. "It is an opportunity for me to grow as a coach, and I am very much looking forward to my time with St. Louis Scott Gallagher, and the staff they have there."
Ridolfi finished with a 15-21-2 record in her two-year career as coach at Alton High School.
The coach said she was extremely grateful for the time she had in the Alton School District.
"I learned a lot about education, myself as an educator, and was given the opportunity by the district to further my growth as an educator, and I feel very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to work there. I will miss the staff I had the privilege of working with, and of course the kids I had the opportunity to be around every day. There was never a dull moment, and I will certainly miss the people I worked with on a daily basis."
Ridolfi was an outstanding soccer player at Marquette Catholic High School and played college soccer at Eastern Illinois University.
Ridolfi said it was a difficult decision to leave and everything happened pretty fast.
"The opportunity came about relatively sudden and was something I felt I couldn't pass up," she said."Anyone who knows me, knows that soccer has always been a big part of my life, and is something I am truly passionate about. It has given me many opportunities, and I have learned a lot from playing, and teaching the game.
"I am excited about the chance to work for a club that I once played for, and gave me the opportunity to play college soccer. I look forward to working with the girls program in the hopes of giving these kids the same opportunities I was fortunate enough to have."
Alton High School Athletic Director Jeff Alderman said the school is looking for a replacement for Ridolfi and has the position listed in various places.
"In a perfect world, we would find someone with physical education and health background as well as the soccer experience," he said. "We want someone that would be dynamic in the program for years to come."
Alderman said Ridolfi did a good job as girls soccer coach the past two years and he hated to lose her, but he was happy for her new opportunity with St. Louis Scott Gallagher.
