Harrisburg will defend its AA girls state soccer championship this Saturday against top seeded Mitchell at Brandon Valley high school. For both of these schools, they know each other well, but for coaches Eric Christensen and Scott Mullenmeister, they have a friendship in the sport that goes back a decade.
“I’ve known Scott for ten plus years. I really met Scott, our daughters were probably six or seven out playing soccer together,” said Harrisburg head coach Eric Christensen.
Both Christensen and Mullenmeister were living in Mitchell. At the time, Mullenmeister was coaching a girls youth soccer team in town with his daughter Mia. Eric’s daughter Hailee joined the team, and their journey together began.
“I was the dad who didn’t know anything about soccer and showed up to some indoor practices,” Christensen explained. “Scott says “if you’re going to be here every day, why don’t you come out and be our assistant coach,” and that’s really where it all started. Scott’s the guy that knew everything about soccer, I just tried to maybe offer some leadership and insight to the girls.”
“I remember telling my wife, I think I might have an assistant coach,” joked Mitchell head soccer coach Scott Mullenmeister. “At the time I was needing one and Eric joined. Hailee and Mia at that point of time and Eric and I continued to coach that group of girls for another three years after that and had a really successful run.”
The two coached together for the next three or so years. Four years ago, Christensen got the job at Harrisburg, which quickly became competitive, and in 2022 the Tigers won the state championship. For Mullenmeister, he’s a first-year coach for Mitchell. As fate would have it, Mitchell and Harrisburg would both find their way to the state ‘AA’ championship game where Christensen and Mullenmeister get to meet up on the state’s biggest stage.
“I thought when we both ‘retired,’ we were never going to coach together or against each other,” chuckled Christensen. “It’s just one game, but this one is very unique. I never thought ten years ago when I started helping coach soccer that I would be a four-year coach at Harrisburg, we’re now going for our second state title in a row.”
Additionally, both coaches are still coaching their daughters (Mia and Hailee) as well.
“[Eric and I’ve] been shooting some texts back and forth, you know, congratulating each other and I personally have a lot of respect for Hailee and Eric both and what they’ve been able to accomplish there in Harrisburg,” Mullenmeister stated. “I think the feeling is mutual. Our daughters, they play on different teams now, obviously, but they still have a lot of respect for one another. They played a lot of soccer games together. And really, when you look back on those years, they really pushed each other, and I think Hailee is responsible for Mia becoming the player that she is today. And I think the same is true of Hallie, they push each other.”
For both coaches, as fathers, they’ve adored the opportunity to coach their daughters.
“One, it’s been just an amazing journey to be able to coach her. Obviously, I’ve coached her since she was in U8 in the park and rec program, and just to be part of her development as a soccer player and now a young woman, it’s a journey we’ve been on together,” said Mullenmeister. “From the dad perspective, I’m just so proud of her and the soccer player and person she’s become over the year.”
Christensen also relishes the opportunity that he’s had with his daughter Hailee. He knows that Saturday’s game will be his final game as the Harrisburg coach too. Christensen wants to be able to watch his daughter play next year in college for South Dakota State University.
“It’ll probably be more emotional tomorrow than it is today, but you know, I’ve told her many times that I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else,” told Christensen. “Mitchell will be a tough game, an emotional game for her and I, because like I said, I can name almost every girl on their roster. Hopefully be a game where I can sit on the bench a little bit and enjoy it.”
Mia Mullenmeister also has division one soccer plans. She’ll attend Utah State next year to continue her career at the collegiate level.
Saturday’s ‘AA’ girls state championship game between Harrisburg and Mitchell will take place at 5 pm CT on SDPB2-TV, YouTube, and sdpb.org/soccer.
