Hilbert College Athletics

Kelly Starchok is focused on a goal of leading the 2017 women’s soccer team to the program’s first back-to-back Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) play-off appearances this fall. 

After six seasons, Starchok earned her first post-season appearance in 2016 and was recognized as the AMCC Coach of the Year.  Four players earned All-Conference honors as Hilbert earned the 5th seed in the 2016 play-offs with a 4-4-1 league record and a 9-7-1 overall finish.  The Hawks set a new AMCC-era overall win record and established the highest winning percentage in the AMCC portion of the schedule with only four league losses.

During Starchok’s first five seasons, key players sustained unfortunate injuries which ultimately limited the teams’ successes on the field.  Hilbert collected only five league victories over the course of those five years, but suffered 11 defeats by a one-goal margin and played to four double-overtime ties.

Off the field, the Hilbert women’s soccer program has dominated the AMCC Team Peak Performer Awards dating back to the inaugural year the league began recognizing academic efforts.   Starchok’s teams have collected the annual award five of the six years in which the league honored the singular program who achieved the highest cumulative grade point average among the 10 women’s soccer programs in the AMCC.  Since Starchok arrived on campus in 2011, the Hawks carry a cumulative 3.45 grade point average.

And twice in the last three years, the women’s soccer program has been recognized for their community service projects when not competing on the pitch.  In 2015, the Hawks were given a Gold Award for their efforts organizing a multitude of activities; they dedicated a home game to spread the message on an anti-bullying campaign, participated in a walk to raise awareness about suicide prevention and hosted a Special Olympian as a Hawk for the Day.  Then in 2017, the AMCC honored the women’s program with a Silver Award in the One-Time Event category as they continued to shine the spot-light on Anti-Bullying and Suicide Prevention.  The Hawks sold 50/50 tickets at three different Buffalo Sabres games, raised more than four-thousand dollars which was funneled back into the Gregory D. Spring Foundation. Through the team's efforts, the foundation was able to award five additional scholarships to deserving high school seniors who display kindness and perseverance and to individuals who work hard to accomplish their best without quitting in spite of difficulties and discouragement.

Starchok brought over ten years of coaching experience along with team and coaching awards to Hilbert College when she became the college’s first-time full-time women’s soccer coach. Hilbert received a 2011 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Strategic Alliance Matching Grant position which opened the door for Starchok.

During her four years at Genesee Community College (GCC), she led the Cougars to the National Junior College Athletic Association’s (NJCAA) National Tournament in 2009 and 2010 (runner-up) and became the NJCAA Division III District A Champions and Region 3 Champions in both 2009 and 2010.

In 2007 and again in 2010, GCC earned the Western New York Athletic Conference championship as the 2009 squad was honored with the NJCAA Division III National Tournament Sportsmanship Award.

Personally, Starchok was named the NSCAA/Mondo Junior College National Northeast Coach of the Year (2010), the NJCAA Region III Coach of the Year (2009, 2010) and the New York State ODP Coach of the Year (2008).

Starchok served as an assistant coach at Canisius College (2001 – 2004) and as a head coach with the Empire United Soccer Academy (2001 to present). Beginning in 2006, Starchok assumed a head coaching position with the Olympic Development Program a year before she became the head coach at GCC. Working at the Batavia, NY college Starchok served as an adjunct professor in the Health and Physical Education division and expanded her responsibilities within the department by assisting as a co-sports information director.

Starchok also serves as the athletic department’s Compliance and Student Services Coordinator. She oversees the Athletic Academic Monitoring Program (AAMP) developed specifically for at-risk student-athletes at Hilbert. As the compliance coordinator, Starchok oversees all student-athlete eligibility matters.

Having graduated from the University at Buffalo with a Bachelor of Arts degree in early childhood development in 2001, Starchok then earned her Master’s Degree in education from Canisius College. Starchok currently holds her USSF National C License Certification.