Over the course of the academic year, players are required to complete at least two community service projects each semester. Head Coach Jon Mannall says most players chose to complete far more.
“Giving back is the Ambrosian way, and so it's very much built into the fabric of our team. We have some minimum requirements of what I expect all my players to be involved in throughout the year. But with that said, the vast majority of our girls far exceed that.”
It was important to Mannall to find a community partner his team could continually work with and build a relationship with to maximize their impact.
“Sometime when you do these community service projects you can turn up and you're spending half the time trying to figure out what you're trying to do,” Mannall explained. “What we're doing now with Project Renewal, because it's established, I think we can have a much bigger impact.
“It's great to see my upperclassmen teaching my newer players how much fun they can have with it, and since it's part of the fabric of what we do, I think it gets more of a buy in.”
Maggie Konczak ’25, ’26 DPT certainly bought in. This year, she organized two activities for her and her teammates to host at annual Halloween party. She and a group of other women’s soccer players also applied for and received themed housing on campus. Themed housing is connected to a specific goal or project. Konczak and her teammates chose Project Renewal.
“We wanted to connect with them a little more this year than we have in past years,” Konczak explained. “As a team, we always host an activity for the Halloween party and then we do Project Fit Fest in the spring, but we wanted to be more involved in their program.”
This year, they are helping with community cleanup projects through the organization and volunteering with the afterschool program.
“It’s such a rewarding experience working with the children,” Konczak said. “I love connecting with them more and building one-on-one relationships.”
When Konczak applied to St. Ambrose, she saw it as a place where she could continue to play soccer while fast-tracking her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. Konczak will graduate with her undergraduate degree in exercise science in May 2025. By December 2026, she’ll earn her DPT.
What she didn’t expect was the school’s commitment to community service, and her teams’ focus on community impact.
“I didn't know St. Ambrose was so service-oriented. I'm sure they say stuff about it, but it wasn’t something I was paying attention to when I was looking at schools. But I enjoy it a lot.
“I think most of us like getting involved in service, but sometimes it’s hard to find opportunities. To have that expectation built into your team is nice because it provides you the resources to make it a priority.”
The ease of accessibility to find service opportunities also introduced Kozack and teammates like Abigail Goff ’25 to experiences they may not otherwise have explored.
“Maggie and I volunteer at St. Ambrose’s food pantry a lot,” Goff said. “We went one time because we had to. Now we go and help out because it’s fun!”
Service projects also provide the team with unique bonding experiences.
“It’s fun seeing all of our teammates in different situations,” Goff said.
“It’s an extra layer of connection with everyone because of how interactive it is, especially working with the kids at Project Renewal. It’s a way for us to get to know each other more,” Konczak said.
While success on the field is always a top priority for Mannall and his team, he hopes that incorporating service opportunities instills a mindset his players can carry with them for a lifetime.
“Yeah, we can do some incredible things on the soccer field, but we can also do some incredible things in the community as a team as well,” Mannall said. “Not everyone's going to be an All-American, and not everyone's going to have all their soccer goals met, but I really hope that they'll be able to achieve a bigger picture and be a part of something bigger. That's a big priority for us.”
“For me, it’s helped me branch out, and I just feel like it’s helped me be more outgoing with people in all kinds of situations,” Goff said.
“As a future physical therapist, I see myself working with more of an underserved population, so I think partnering with organizations like Project Renewal during my time here will translate to my future career,” Konczak reflected.
Beyond Project Renewal, the women’s soccer team also works with a grassroots soccer program, providing coaching to local kids, and volunteers annually at Night to Shine.