St. John's University Athletics
10 for IX: Women’s Soccer Legend and Assistant Coach Amy Marron
7/28/2022 3:38:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Former St. John’s standout will enter her eighth year on Ian Stone’s staff
The following story is the fourth in a 10-part feature series celebrating the legacy of Title IX at St. John's and its effects on the generations of student-athletes, coaches and administrators who have benefited in the 50 years since its passing. A new story will be published on Thursdays at RedStormSports.com.
QUEENS, N.Y. – When she entered college nearly 40 years after the passage of Title IX, Amy Marron did not share many of the same experiences of her predecessors. In many ways, her journey showed the progress that had been made in women's athletics since 1972.
Instead of through open tryouts, Marron's spot was secured following a thorough recruiting process. Instead of one or two scholarships split between an entire roster, Marron joined a fully funded program that played a national schedule.
While many of the female student-athletes four decades her senior grew up playing in loosely organized associations with little to no financial backing, Marron came up in the world of travel soccer. She started playing at age four and before long, she was involved in a competitive circuit that saw her practicing up to five times a week—sometimes driving two hours each way— in addition to games across the region and the country.
But the long hours and grueling travel at such a young age soon paid off. By the time she was a junior in high school, Marron was fielding calls from college coaches. Marron points out that the recruiting landscape just 15 years ago looks far different than it does today.
"I wasn't super educated about the process," said Marron. "There wasn't social media, so recruiting information wasn't everywhere. I don't think I knew what being recruited even meant until freshman year when I'd hear about older girls committing to schools. That's when I knew it was possible and something I hoped to do too."
A highly sought-after recruit whose team twice won the New York State Cup and finished as a runner-up at nationals her senior year, Marron decided to commit to a coach who had also seen the progression of the women's game, Ian Stone.
When Stone began at St. John's in 1994, he was a part-time employee with no paid assistant coaches. His teams had no apparel sponsors, meaning that he had to travel to a local soccer shop and buy cleats for his players. Some of his student-athletes had scholarships, but they were certainly outgunned when compared to many of their BIG EAST opponents.
Marron and Stone enjoyed a successful four years together as player and coach. She started 69 of the 70 matches in which she played and earned All-BIG EAST honors on three separate occasions, earning second team accolades in 2011 and 2013 and finding a spot on the all-league third team in 2012 despite playing in only 12 matches.
Marron's most impactful season came as a senior in 2013, when she scored four goals and dished out seven assists. With Marron captaining the squad, St. John's earned its second-ever NCAA Tournament berth and picked up its first NCAA postseason win, 3-1, over UCF in Orlando.
After graduating from St. John's, Marron embarked on a professional career, but she would soon find herself returning to her alma mater.
"I was playing professionally in Australia when Coach Stone reached out about an opening on staff," said Marron. "I didn't think I was ready to walk away from playing at the time, but it felt like an opportunity I couldn't turn down. I had such a positive experience as a student-athlete at St. John's and I respect the way Coach Stone approaches student-athlete well-being and development. It's special in today's game. Knowing I could give young athletes the same opportunities that were afforded to me was a major reason for choosing to come back.
Marron served a volunteer assistant in 2014, helping the Red Storm go 6-2-1 in BIG EAST play before falling in penalty kicks to Georgetown in the BIG EAST semifinals. The following season, Marron took on a role as the program's graduate assistant and helped the Johnnies record their most successful regular season in team history, going 15-2-1 and winning the program's first BIG EAST Regular Season Championship.
The Valhalla, N.Y., native spent one season as the head coach of Division III SUNY Purchase in 2016 before returning to St. John's as a full-time assistant coach in 2017. This past season, Marron helped the Red Storm reach its highest point in program history, advancing to the NCAA Tournament Round of 16 after moving past Brown and Samford.
While Marron has played a critical role in helping St. John's Women's Soccer reach new heights, she knows there's a long way to go on the national stage.
"One of the positive things about social media is how it has been used as a tool to bring attention to the battle for equity in sports from the youth level all the way to the professional," said Marron. "On the road we see significant differences in the investment in men's and women's programs, in all sports really. I am fortunate to have a head coach and a University that believe in women and push for support. There are a lot of programs out there that unfortunately do not.
"I love watching and supporting women's soccer. It's the best resource for learning as well. It's frustrating when you have some of the NWSL's rivalry games only available on Twitch, while men's cornhole streams on ESPN. I'd like to see more programs stream their games. You can watch every BIG EAST game online, but not everyone has that opportunity. It's one of the most immediate ways we can grow the game and show our investment in women's sports."
As she continues forward in her career, Marron recognizes the influence of the women that have come before her and helped pave the way in all sports, not just soccer.
"As a coach I really admire the work of Dawn Staley," said Marron. "To be successful on the highest level and still prioritize mentorship while advocating for equality is the goal. There have been so many pioneers that committed to the work for the advancement of opportunities for women throughout the years, but she shows us there's much more work to be done and how we all play a role.
"Locally, in the summer I coach alongside Kim Wyant in the WPSL with Brooklyn City. Talk about someone breaking barriers. She coaches the NYU men's team and continues to push for opportunities for women. I've been grateful to be the recipient of the commitment of Kathy Meehan over the years at St. John's. Her position as Senior Women's Administrator is the result of Title IX and she continues her commitment to women's athletics daily."
Entering her eighth year on staff at St. John's in 2022, Marron will try to help the Red Storm build on its unprecedented success last fall. The Johnnies will officially open their season on Aug. 18 at Belson Stadium against Saint Joseph's.
QUEENS, N.Y. – When she entered college nearly 40 years after the passage of Title IX, Amy Marron did not share many of the same experiences of her predecessors. In many ways, her journey showed the progress that had been made in women's athletics since 1972.
Instead of through open tryouts, Marron's spot was secured following a thorough recruiting process. Instead of one or two scholarships split between an entire roster, Marron joined a fully funded program that played a national schedule.
While many of the female student-athletes four decades her senior grew up playing in loosely organized associations with little to no financial backing, Marron came up in the world of travel soccer. She started playing at age four and before long, she was involved in a competitive circuit that saw her practicing up to five times a week—sometimes driving two hours each way— in addition to games across the region and the country.
But the long hours and grueling travel at such a young age soon paid off. By the time she was a junior in high school, Marron was fielding calls from college coaches. Marron points out that the recruiting landscape just 15 years ago looks far different than it does today.
"I wasn't super educated about the process," said Marron. "There wasn't social media, so recruiting information wasn't everywhere. I don't think I knew what being recruited even meant until freshman year when I'd hear about older girls committing to schools. That's when I knew it was possible and something I hoped to do too."
A highly sought-after recruit whose team twice won the New York State Cup and finished as a runner-up at nationals her senior year, Marron decided to commit to a coach who had also seen the progression of the women's game, Ian Stone.
When Stone began at St. John's in 1994, he was a part-time employee with no paid assistant coaches. His teams had no apparel sponsors, meaning that he had to travel to a local soccer shop and buy cleats for his players. Some of his student-athletes had scholarships, but they were certainly outgunned when compared to many of their BIG EAST opponents.
Marron and Stone enjoyed a successful four years together as player and coach. She started 69 of the 70 matches in which she played and earned All-BIG EAST honors on three separate occasions, earning second team accolades in 2011 and 2013 and finding a spot on the all-league third team in 2012 despite playing in only 12 matches.
Marron's most impactful season came as a senior in 2013, when she scored four goals and dished out seven assists. With Marron captaining the squad, St. John's earned its second-ever NCAA Tournament berth and picked up its first NCAA postseason win, 3-1, over UCF in Orlando.
After graduating from St. John's, Marron embarked on a professional career, but she would soon find herself returning to her alma mater.
"I was playing professionally in Australia when Coach Stone reached out about an opening on staff," said Marron. "I didn't think I was ready to walk away from playing at the time, but it felt like an opportunity I couldn't turn down. I had such a positive experience as a student-athlete at St. John's and I respect the way Coach Stone approaches student-athlete well-being and development. It's special in today's game. Knowing I could give young athletes the same opportunities that were afforded to me was a major reason for choosing to come back.
Marron served a volunteer assistant in 2014, helping the Red Storm go 6-2-1 in BIG EAST play before falling in penalty kicks to Georgetown in the BIG EAST semifinals. The following season, Marron took on a role as the program's graduate assistant and helped the Johnnies record their most successful regular season in team history, going 15-2-1 and winning the program's first BIG EAST Regular Season Championship.
The Valhalla, N.Y., native spent one season as the head coach of Division III SUNY Purchase in 2016 before returning to St. John's as a full-time assistant coach in 2017. This past season, Marron helped the Red Storm reach its highest point in program history, advancing to the NCAA Tournament Round of 16 after moving past Brown and Samford.
While Marron has played a critical role in helping St. John's Women's Soccer reach new heights, she knows there's a long way to go on the national stage.
"One of the positive things about social media is how it has been used as a tool to bring attention to the battle for equity in sports from the youth level all the way to the professional," said Marron. "On the road we see significant differences in the investment in men's and women's programs, in all sports really. I am fortunate to have a head coach and a University that believe in women and push for support. There are a lot of programs out there that unfortunately do not.
"I love watching and supporting women's soccer. It's the best resource for learning as well. It's frustrating when you have some of the NWSL's rivalry games only available on Twitch, while men's cornhole streams on ESPN. I'd like to see more programs stream their games. You can watch every BIG EAST game online, but not everyone has that opportunity. It's one of the most immediate ways we can grow the game and show our investment in women's sports."
As she continues forward in her career, Marron recognizes the influence of the women that have come before her and helped pave the way in all sports, not just soccer.
"As a coach I really admire the work of Dawn Staley," said Marron. "To be successful on the highest level and still prioritize mentorship while advocating for equality is the goal. There have been so many pioneers that committed to the work for the advancement of opportunities for women throughout the years, but she shows us there's much more work to be done and how we all play a role.
"Locally, in the summer I coach alongside Kim Wyant in the WPSL with Brooklyn City. Talk about someone breaking barriers. She coaches the NYU men's team and continues to push for opportunities for women. I've been grateful to be the recipient of the commitment of Kathy Meehan over the years at St. John's. Her position as Senior Women's Administrator is the result of Title IX and she continues her commitment to women's athletics daily."
Entering her eighth year on staff at St. John's in 2022, Marron will try to help the Red Storm build on its unprecedented success last fall. The Johnnies will officially open their season on Aug. 18 at Belson Stadium against Saint Joseph's.
WSOC at Saint Joseph's Highlights
Sunday, August 24
WSOC vs Creighton highlights 10.31.24
Thursday, October 31
WSOC Highlights at Penn
Sunday, September 15
WSOC vs Cornell 9.12.24 Highlights
Thursday, September 12