Coach Marsha Panfil

Marsha Panfil begins her second season as head coach for the Concordia Chicago women's soccer team.

Panfil, who also serves as the compliance officer at Concordia, coached at many different levels of youth soccer prior to coming to Concordia. Panfil appreciates the philosophy of Division III athletics, and seeing it within the context of Concordia's campus makes it easy for her to be excited about coaching the ninth-year program. "The Division III level is all about finding a good fit for the student-athlete, and I think that Concordia offers so much - excellent academic programs, a small close-knit community with lots of personal attention, and the opportunity to play competitive college soccer."

Panfil, a native of south suburban Palos Park, attended Carl Sandburg High School and Illinois State University. However, most of Panfil’s soccer education was self-taught in neighborhood pick-up games. She became further involved with the sport through coaching youth soccer and, in 1997, she joined the Hallmark Sports Club in Frankfort, Illinois as their Director of Indoor Programming. Within two years, Panfil began an association with the Chicago Magic Soccer Club (also based in Frankfort) during which time she coached ages 3-18, served as an assistant tournament director and headed up the recreational programs and summer camps.

In 2003, Panfil joined the staff of the University of Chicago Lab School where she reunited with athletic director Dave Ribbens, a former member of the Magic’s staff and the Christian Coach of the Year in 2000 while at Trinity Christian College. Panfil coached middle school soccer and basketball (including some of the Magic’s former players), developed youth soccer camps for ages 3-6 and served as a substitute teacher for grades K-12 at the Lab School.

Panfil is not the only member of the family with a strong background in soccer. Her daughter Jamie, 20, was a soccer standout as a keeper at Lincoln-Way Central High School in New Lenox and is in her second season as a goalkeeper for Division I Campbell University in North Carolina. Panfil also has a son Ryan, 22, who is currently stationed with the U.S. Marines at Camp Le Jeune in North Carolina and preparing for deployment to Afghanistan.

Contact Information:
E-Mail - Marsha.Panfil@CUChicago.edu
708-209-3561 (Office)
708-209-3154 (Fax)