SAN ANTONIO -- Coming off the 2019 season with more wins than in the past three seasons combined, the University of the Incarnate Word women's soccer team made program history when it earned a spot in the Southland Conference Tournament.
 
UIW hushed the preseason doubt that ranked the Cardinals at the bottom of the conference pack when it concluded the season with a fourth-place finish and its first postseason berth in Division I history.
 
With the Cardinals also achieving a perfect 1,000 APR (2018-19), it is easy to see that they found success on the pitch and in the classroom. Head coach Emma Wright-Cates opened up to give insight into the team culture, why she chose UIW, and everything in between.
 
 
Emma Wright-Cates | Manchester, England | Women's soccer head coach
 
Q: Why did you decide to become a coach?
A: I decided to become a coach because I like to help people and make a difference. I had really good coaches growing up that helped guide me through some tough life challenges, and I really valued those relationships and those experiences that helped mold me and equip me for real life. I just wish to pay it forward.
 
Q: What made you choose UIW?
A: UIW is a special place and for those that have been here, they know it's a hidden gem. I really liked the school's mission and core values and I liked the AD's vision for athletics, especially for women's soccer, during the interview process. I had actually never been on campus before and was told how beautiful it was, so once I was [on campus], the excitement continued and the people were fantastic. It just felt right and it felt like home the second I landed in San Antonio. So the place, the people and the city all made the decision really easy for my family.
 
Q: At what age/under what circumstances did you start playing soccer?
A: I started playing when I was around 7 years old. I was the oldest in my family and my dad was my coach for a few years before I joined Everton at 15. Coming from England, it is something that is in our DNA. My uncle Tommy had played for Everton and England, and my cousin Billy also, so I grew up watching them and going to the games and just loved every second of it; the atmosphere was incredible.
 
Q: What is your favorite thing about being a coach?
A: My favorite thing about coaching is helping individuals achieve their goals and watching them become successful, heading into their next chapter fully prepared.
 
Q: What is something the community doesn't know about you?
A: Funny story: I support and played for Everton. When I played at Anfield (which is the Merseyside derby and a rival team's home pitch), some of my family wouldn't set foot in the stadium to watch – true blues!
 
Q: If you weren't coaching soccer, what sport would you be most interested in coaching and why?
A: I'd be interested in coaching American football as its really complex with all the plays and my mind runs at 90 miles per hour, so I feel like it would fulfill that need and void.
 
Q: This season (2019) the team made its first appearance to the Southland Conference Tournament. Tell us more about how that experience impacted you as a coach and what that meant to the student-athletes, having their hard work pay off.
A: It's made me better for sure. I think both players and coaches were in that position for the first time ever together, which is an amazing moment to share and has a huge positive impact on all of us. This is my first time as a head coach; both assistants as a staff for the first time at DI, and the players, especially the seniors, finally saw all their hard work and sacrifices pay off. We have a lot of players from different cultures, different backgrounds, different upbringings, but we put together three common team goals for the season and they smashed all three, which was incredible to see! It was great to be able to give the 2019 seniors that send off, and for them to know that forever they were the class that created history is a fantastic achievement. I think it's important to remember all the players that came before this moment and all the hard work they put in to get us to this point. I got the pleasure to work firsthand with our 2018 seniors, and how they started this shift in momentum within the program at the DI level, I will be forever grateful for them. Those moments are definitely very special, and I think it impacted us all and left us with a great experience and hungry for more.
 
Q: Coach, in the Fall semester alone, the team racked up 219 volunteer hours, all while maintaining a solid team GPA of 3.49. How has this push to be strong leaders in the classroom and community shaped the team culture on the pitch? 
A: As a program, our over-arching umbrella is to "Be The Example". We strive to represent in three different components: the classroom, community and competition, all of which I believe develop strong character. I believe that the commitment they gave this past Fall in the classroom, the value they have and dedication they've shown in giving back to the community is exceptional. I believe those two components and the mindset in which they approached them definitely shaped the team's culture this season and is directly related to the success on the pitch. My staff does a very good job of reminding our players that the details matter; it's not that you will never face challenges or adversity, it's how you respond to those moments that reveals and builds character. The success we have had in such a short time is a credit to these young players and this team, and this past Fall definitely proved what they were capable of.
 
Q: Coming off an incredible season and winning more games than in years previous, what are you looking forward to as you add the incoming freshmen class to the roster?
A: We have a talented group coming in to add to the existing talent we have returning, which is going to make for a very competitive environment. I'm looking forward to watching those connections build and team chemistry grow as we continue to build the foundation of this program to make sure that it is something strong that can withstand adversity and consistently compete for conference championships and beyond.
 
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