LONGTIME MCLA MEN'S SOCCER COACH TO RETIRE FROM COACHING

NORTH ADAMS, MA, June 11, 2007 - Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) has announced that longtime men's soccer coach, Ron Shewcraft, will retire from coaching, effective June 15. He will remain at MCLA as a member of the faculty and as chairman of the physical education department.

Shewcraft has been head coach of men's soccer at MCLA for the past 29 years. Prior to that, he served as an assistant for one year, when the College was named North Adams State, and three years as an assistant at his alma mater, West Virginia University.

"This has not been a casual decision but rather one that I have deliberated over for some time. After more than three decades of coaching college soccer, I feel it is time to step aside. I will continue to serve MCLA and its students by directing full energy into my teaching and chair
duties," Shewcraft said. "MCLA has been a wonderful place to coach and I am excited to still be involved with the MCLA students and student-athletes, only in a different role. I consider myself very, very fortunate to have had the opportunity to coach here for so many years."

Said Scott Nichols, MCLA director of athletics, "Ron Shewcraft is one of the finest teacher/coaches that I have ever met and his success both on and off the field is what makes him the ultimate educator."  

During Shewcraft's 30-year tenure, the men's soccer program has had tremendous success, according to Nichols. The program posted an overall record of 307-185-47. His teams appeared in post season 16 times, including six NCAA, six ECAC and four MASCAC tournaments. None of his teams went more than three consecutive seasons without qualifying for post
season play.

In 29 years as head coach, Shewcraft's record was 292-184-46, a .604 winning percentage. Entering the fall 2006 season, he ranked 29th in total career coaching victories among all NCAA Division III coaches and 19th among active coaches. In addition, he ranked 8th in total career among coaches from public institutions in Division III.  His teams won five MASCAC Championships and in 1978 won the NCAA Division III New England Championship. That same year they advanced to the prestigious NCAA "Final Four." 

Over the course of his coaching career, two of Shewcraft's players were selected as All America, 25 were selected as All New England, and 93 were selected as All Conference. Six of those players went on to play professionally. On the academic side, he had one player selected as
Academic All America, one Arthur Ashe Academic Award winner, and 11 players selected as "Louis Parisien Award Winners." This award is presented annually to the top male student-athlete at MCLA, based upon academic and athletic achievement.

Said Shewcraft, "I have been truly blessed to have coached and mentored so many young men with talent and commitment in both the classroom and on the field of play."

Shewcraft said he was very pleased that MCLA plans to break ground this summer for a new artificial turf field at the Zavattaro Athletic Complex.

"In the mid-1990s, our men's soccer boosters funded a press box project on the men's field. At that time, I said to the Dean of Student Affairs that my long-term vision was to have the facility be upgraded and eventually become a first class soccer venue for both the men's and women's programs."

While reflecting on his decision to retire, Shewcraft said, "I hope that the accomplishments of the program during my time as coach capture my passion for success, my consistency and my love of all of the players that I have had the privilege to coach. I will always be proud and honored to be called coach; however it is time for me to move on to a new place in my
career." 

• Shewcraft's career "By the numbers"
  33 years of college coaching
  3 years as Assistant Coach at West Virginia University
  One year as Assistant Coach at NASC
  29 years as Head Coach at NASC / MCLA
  
• Only five "active" coaches in Division III in New England have coached
  longer as a head coach
  Only 17 "active" coaches in Division III nationally have coached longer as
  a head coach
  He has coached 585 games in the regular fall traditional season
  (He has coached approximately 300 additional indoor and non traditional
  season games)
  
• 30-year Career Coaching record at NASC / MCLA
  292-184-4 for a .604 winning percentage in 29 years as head coach
  307-185-47 overall, counting his first year as Assistant Coach at NASC
  16 post season appearances in 30 years
  None of his teams have gone longer than three consecutive seasons without
  qualifying for post season play
  Five MASCAC Championships
  One New England Championship
  One NCAA "Final Four"
  
• There are 385 men's programs in Division III. Entering the 2006 season,
  among his peers in Division III he ranked:
  29th in total career coaching victories
  19th among active coaches
  10th among coaches with 28 years or less
  8th among coaches from public institutions
  
• Individual Athletic and Academic player honors
  Six players went on to play professionally
  Two players selected as All -American
  25 players selected as All New England
  93 players selected as All Conference
  One Academic All-American
  One Arthur Ashe Academic Award winner
  Three players selected to represent MCLA at the NCAA National Student
  Leadership Conference
  11 Louis Parisien Award winners
  
• Alumni and Community Activities
  Two Annual Men's Soccer Alumni Golf Tournaments
  15 Annual Men's Soccer Alumni Indoor Tournaments
  $100,000 given as gifts form Alumni / Boosters to the Men's Soccer Fund
  $10,000 press box funded and built by the Alumni / Boosters
  $12,000 donated to charities in Berkshire County on behalf of MCLA
  Athletics via the Fall Soccer Classic
  3,000 participants in youth soccer clinics provided by the men's soccer
  team
  
• Time and effort
  16,000 miles driven to and from the MCLA athletic complex for practices
  and games
  80,000 miles traveled to traditional season games
  12,000 miles traveled to non-traditional season games
  80,000 miles traveled for recruiting, scouting and meetings
  240 nights in residence at Taconic Hall and Hoosac Hall during August
  preseason training
  
• Time and effort well spent according to Shewcraft
  "A story that numbers cannot possibly reveal is that I cherish, most, the
  relationships that I have with former players who I have had the privilege
  to coach over these 33 years."