Coach Mark Cascolan has seen a lot of soccer.

Growing up overseas in Germany, he also spent time in Italy; he was constantly immersed in the game. From watching his favorite superstars on television, to attending professional matches, he has an enthusiasm that’s gone undeterred in more than 30 years.

So now that he leads two separate teams for Cook Inlet Soccer Club in Alaska, his message is fairly predictable.

“The important thing is I want my players to know that no matter how far they want to go in soccer they need to be fans first,” Cascolan said. “If they’re not fans are they going to want to continue to work hard and spend the time training and going to different camps in order to get to the next level? If they’re not fans I don’t see how they’re going to be able to give 100 percent.”

These days, Cascolan has earned a few fans of his own.

In addition to coaching the 93 Girls and 97 Girls White teams for Cook Inlet, he also guided the Service High School girls team to a state championship.

For all his success, he was named the NSCAA/Adidas Coach of the Year for Alaska in 2008.

“It was a fun year with (Service High), there were a lot of individual and team accolades that were earned,” he said.

But more than accolades, Cascolan is concerned with helping to revitalize soccer enthusiasm around him. Cascolan enjoys coaching in the Arctic Winter Games, a mini international event that takes place every two years, and gathers competitors from above the Arctic circle. He’s also encouraged by Alaskan players Alev Kelter-Perusse and Kelly Cobb, both of whom performed well in the U18/U20 Women’s National Camp a couple weeks ago, flourishing alongside the likes of Kristen Mewis, Victoria DiMartino, Zakiya Bywaters and Courtney Verloo.  

“I would like to see the game continue to grow,” Cascolan said. “You see kids like Cobb and Perusse, and both will go on to play at the D1 level. Who knows, maybe you’ll see some kids playing in the Olympics. That helps, when young players can see that.”

Cascolan took one of his team’s to play in Holland and Belgium during the 2006 World Cup. He wanted to give his players a chance to experience international play, sure, but just as importantly he wanted them to feel the energy and passion associated with soccer in other countries.

“I feel like there is a lack of passion here,” he said. “It was different for me growing up than it is for these kids. I had professional teams all around me. It was a different energy. The last time I felt that kind of energy here in the United States was when I watched the Chicago Fire play an AC Milan team at Soldier Field (in Chicago). It’s rare.”

Cascolan’s advice to those who also want to inspire excitement in players is simple.

“We have to encourage creativity,” he said. “We can’t hold kids back. We have to allow them to make mistakes and try new things. You can’t kill their courage in trying something new. We can teach them the game but we just have to let them play. Let them have fun.”