Penn State soccer mentors guide Dallastown grad
STATE COLLEGE — One of Penn State's youngest soccer standouts found his mentor before a practice last spring.
A little bit of team bonding ensued. Dallastown sophomore-to-be Mac Curran goofed around by jumping on the back of his former teammate and new assistant coach.
Owen Griffith obliged for a bit, smiling as he carried Curran around the field.
It does seem that the former Wildcat has picked the perfect Penn State teachers as he carves out his own career. As a freshman last fall, Curran started a dozen games at forward and scored two goals.
Much more is expected now. His best attribute on the field?
"Just wreaking havoc. I really like the physical part of the game," Curran said. "I like getting into people and using my body and, honestly, just trying to piss them off a little bit. It definitely keeps me going. For 90 minutes I just like going after people and (knowing) that they're getting frustrated ..."
Much more is expected of Curran, with some timely help, of course.
He remembers being awed back in middle school watching Griffith play. Curran's first soccer season at Penn State was Griffith's first year as an assistant coach. He was named to a full-time position this summer.
"With him being young, it gives more of a perspective compared to coach (Bob) Warming because he just got out of playing. He just got out of the game," Curran said. "He can always jump in and play with us at practice. I don't think coach has jumped in for a while."
And Griffith, he said, is the perfect role model for improving his conditioning and endurance.
"Owen was the hardest worker on the team, and I strive to be that," Curran said. "That's all we can control, is how hard we work."
Before Curran ever arrived in college he began working out with fellow Dallastown grad and Nittany Lion soccer player Christian Kaschak. He noticed how hard Kaschak worked to recover from a broken foot and torn ACL.
Last summer, the two met regularly at Dallastown High to condition and lift weights. Then they played one season together for the Nittany Lions.
"Christian made me believe in myself that I could actually get a starting position as a freshman," Curran said. "He was always there during the summer and always helping me out in practice, giving me pointers."
Curran certainly can learn from Kaschak's work off the field. Kaschak spent last summer on a three-week medical mission to Vietnam where he assisted in leg and foot surgeries for the underprivileged.
He is hoping to enter medical school next summer with a possible focus on sports medicine and orthopedics. For now, he's working as a nursing assistant with WellSpan Health.