After a career as student-athlete,
Cheyenne Spade has joined the Towson University women's soccer staff as an assistant coach.
Greg Paynter, who begins his 11
th season at the helm of the program in the fall of 2017, made the announcement on May 31.
"We are excited to add Cheyenne to our staff. Her quality as a player is matched by her enthusiasm as a coach," said Paynter of the new hire. "She will have an immediate impact on the development of our young attacking players and help shape our offense. Having a new staff can be intimidating; however, with our returning players and senior leadership, the team has not missed a beat."
Spade joins the Tiger women's soccer program after spending the 2016 season at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania.
"I'm told that if you choose a job that you love, you will never have to work a day in your life," said Spade. "Towson has given me that opportunity. I am here to create lasting meaning by helping student-athletes, helping a program and helping a university."
Spade joined the Susquehanna coaching staff in January 2016 and helped guide the River Hawks to a 12-6 overall record and a 4-3 finish in the Landmark Conference, earning a berth in the league tournament. Spade's duties included recruiting and meeting with prospective student-athletes, creating and running up-to-date drills and reviewing game film. Additionally, Spade organized a season timetable and scouted opposing teams. She motivated and encouraged student-athletes to achieve their goals both in practice and on the game field.
Prior to joining the coaching ranks, Spade held a legal internship at the Lycoming County Court of Common Pleas. She summarized and presented cases to Judge Lovecchio, in addition to reviewing legal documents within criminal, family and business law. She appeared for status and settlement conferences and specifically addressed strategic issues with each case.
As a student-athlete, Spade spent two seasons at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina. She appeared in 39 games as a freshman and sophomore (2011-12), scoring a pair of goals and adding three assists as a second-year student-athlete. Spade earned ACC Student-Athlete academic honors as well.
Spade then transferred to the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. During the 2014 and 2015 campaigns, Spade appeared in 40 games, potting seven goals, including five in her final campaign. Spade logged the first goal for the Volunteers in the SEC Quarterfinals, scoring on a loose ball just three minutes into the match. Spade later scored the final Tennessee penalty kick, helping the Volunteers advance 5-4 on PKs to the SEC Semifinals.
The Richfield, Pennsylvania native appeared in 79 games during her collegiate career, finishing with 28 total points on nine goals and 10 helpers. Spade graduated in May 2015 from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science.
During her time in Tennessee, Spade logged more than 75 hours of community service in the Knoxville Community. She worked closely with the Boys and Girls Club, the Knoxville Color Run, the Top Drawer Soccer Club. While she was in Raleigh, she contributed more than 100 hours of community service to the surrounding area, including Habitat for Humanity.
From May 2014 to August of the same year, Spade played for the Knoxville Force in the Women's Premier Soccer League. She was named First Team Southeastern Conference, unrelated to the collegiate SEC. She achieved a balance between an academic and athletic schedule, including practice, travel, and competition, with a 12-hour course load during the summer semester.
Spade's stint at Susquehanna was not her first time coaching as she was a coach with the FC Alliance from January 2015 to January 2016. She communicated effectively with parents and children, including organizing and leading practice. She planned and created relevant up-to-date drills to aid in team building and success. She also handled game file and statistical reports for game operations.
