EDWARDSVILLE – It's been said that behind every successful coach stands a very good assistant.
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Edwardsville's boys soccer team has just such a partnership with head coach Mark Heiderscheid and long-time assistant Randy Chapman; the duo, along with assistant Tom Wencewicz, have helped guide the fortunes of Tiger soccer since coming to the program in 2007 after a stint coaching at his high school alma mater, Granite City, where he played on the Warriors' 1987 state championship side.
“The time I spent at Granite City has had an impact on me,” Chapman said. “I learned much playing under Gene Baker – how the little things can make an difference, about how to conduct yourself both on and off the field – and it still makes an impact on me today.”
After graduating from GCHS in 1988, Chapman played at Northeast Missouri State (now Truman State) in Kirksville, Mo., then returned to Granite City to be an assistant coach – working with the goalkeepers – under current GCHS assistant Barry Grote and later under Gene Briggs in both the boys and girls program, being a part of a girls program that reached the IHSA Class AA girls state tournament three straight times from 2005-07 under the two-class system.
Chapman joined the Edwardsville program as a volunteer assistant in 2007 and has been with the Tigers since. “It was a chance to get around,” Chapman said. “Mark's really good to work with,” Chapman said. “I have a lot of input on strategy and what to do during matches; I'll be watching what happens during the game and we talk to each other right before halftime about what to say to the kids and what we need to do in the second half. Mark's got the final say, but I have a lot of input on what to do to be successful.”
Coaching at the high school level means much to Chapman – much more than teaching the game. “Soccer teaches perseverance, hard work for what you want to achieve and a lot about life itself,” Chapman said. “There's a lot more to it than just the game – it's the friendships you make that last a lifetime.”
