The ISU women’s soccer team has an Athens Olympian for a coach.

ISU assistant coach Ileana Moschos recently returned from Athens, Greece, where she was a goalie on the 2004 Greek Olympic soccer team.

Moschos is Greek-American and was born and raised in the United States.

Moschos’s experience began two years ago, when she was playing professional soccer for the California Storm of Women’s Premier Soccer League. It was there that she received an e-mail asking if she was interested in trying out for the Greece team.

She made accommodations to travel during her winter break.

“I went and I tried out, and I made the team,” Moschos said. “We had tournaments throughout the entire experience.”

The two years leading up to the Olympics were demanding ones for Moschos, who participated in tournaments with her teammates until beginning of last summer.

An event such as the Olympics is expected to have challenges both on and off the field, but it was especially difficult for Moschos. She had to leave the style of play she was used to in the United States and adapt to Greece’s style quickly.

“My Greek teammates were very technical, very skilled, and very athletic,” Moschos said. “Tactically, because they weren’t trained at an early age, we had a gap of formation.”

Moschos said those types of adjustments took quite a while to adapt to. In addition to game style, ways of life also need to be adapted — which can pose even more problems for an out-of-town athlete.

“Here in the United States, women’s soccer is probably more popular than the men’s,” Moschos said.

“In Europe, soccer is still considered a men’s sport. Women aren’t thought of as being very athletic.”

The Olympics had fringe benefits as well.

“I have a group of close people that I consider my friends,” Moschos said. “We were Olympians together.”

Once Greece was eliminated from the tournament after three straight first-round losses, Moschos came home.

In fact, the same day that Moschos caught her flight from Greece to Iowa, she was back at ISU practice.

Moschos said that she wanted to show her dedication towards the ISU soccer team.

“This is what I love to do,” Moschos said. “Now I want to focus on my coaching career. These girls are important.”

ISU head coach Rebecca Hornbacher said Moschos brings an attitude to practice every day that allows everyone to do their job.

“She is a great role model for our student-athletes,” Hornbacher said. “She has commitment and a passion for the game.”

Moschos has the light-hearted attitude that can turn even the grayest moods into a bright smile.

“She has a great sense of humor and it’s a great balance for my staff,” Hornbacher said.

“She actually gets me to calm down at times.”

Freshman goalie Jo Haig said the team atmosphere would not be the same without Moschos.

“She brings a great energy to the team,” Haig said.

“Knowing that she’s had such an experience in the Olympics and has gone so far in her career, makes it great to have her as a coach.”