Two years in a row our soccer team has made it to state – in fact, we technically broke a record, going to state twice in the same year. How’d we do it? 

Obviously, the players are a large part of it, competing to the best of their abilities and playing hard. But who’s the man who helped them be the best they could? 

That would be Michael Prudisch, the varsity soccer coach and science teacher here at Notre Dame Academy. 

Prudisch has been playing soccer since he was five, playing club soccer in middle and high school, as well as playing soccer for UW-Platteville when he attended college there. He currently plays in an indoor co-ed league, in addition to coaching at NDA.

Having been at NDA for four years now, his third season coaching has just wrapped up. 

“It’s definitely bitter-sweet when soccer comes to an end, when we got the most we could out of the season, but now we have a whole lot of free time back, to get back to teaching and spending time with my family,” said Prudisch. 

Prudisch has a wife and one-year-old son at home, with another baby daughter on the way. In fact, he held the gender reveal at one of the soccer practices!

Asked about whether his children will carry on the family tradition, Prudisch said, “If my son or soon to be daughter played soccer, it would be great. I would encourage them cause there’s a lot of positive things to take out of it, but I wouldn’t force them. I’m not the type of guy to force my children to do something they don’t want to do.”

His first son was born during the 2020 fall season, which was smack-dab in the middle of the COVID pandemic, and for Prudisch, the pandemic was a time of stress and busyness, trying to make sure that the soccer season went well. 

“We had 20 games in about 30 days during the spring season, compared to this season where it was 27 games in 3 months,” Prudisch explained. 

Because of the unique effects of the pandemic on sports, the team broke records that, otherwise, wouldn’t have even been thought of. 

“We were the only team to be in the state championship in both spring and fall, and we’re the first team in Wisconsin ever to not allow a single goal yet still not win. Technically we didn’t lose, we tied.”

Having coached NDA soccer for four years now, what is Prudisch’s takeaway from coaching?

“I would say my favorite thing was watching the guys accomplish their goals, and grow and develop as the season progressed,” said Prudisch.