Women's soccer players at Miami University (Ohio) learn to play the game, but they also learn to coach it and give back to the community at the same time.

Miami head coach Bobby Kramig has developed a youth soccer program that consists of a 28-team spring league with 250 participants ranging in age from 4 to 10. What makes the M-League different from other soccer leagues, though, is easy to spot -- the coaches are student-athletes from Kramig's team.

"We came up with the idea of running the league for five or six weeks in the spring," Kramig said. "That way, our varsity student-athletes were more available and could take on the responsibilities of actually coaching the youth teams."

The league is heavy on sportsmanship and participation and light on competitiveness and pressure. Every participating child receives a full uniform, soccer ball and coaching by members of the women's soccer team (the school doesn't have a men's varsity soccer team). They also get to build a relationship with a student-athlete, who often becomes a role model for them.

"I think it's a definite benefit for these kids to not only learn soccer skills but also learn about the people who compete for Miami," said Katie Karlander, a senior goalkeeper. "The kids really enjoy being coached by players they saw in the fall competing in a Miami uniform."

Amy Moore, an M-League parent, agreed. "Without question, the best aspect of the M-League was the relationship (my daughter) built with her coach," she said. "My daughter still has a picture of her M-League coach in her bedroom. It's great for a kid her age to develop a relationship like that with such a positive role model."

Kramig said that's definitely one goal of the program.

"I've always felt very strongly that there's a need for good soccer role models," he said. "Our players are role models for these kids, and we really stress that to them. What little kid doesn't want to be like a big kid?"

The other benefit has been exposing student-athletes to the field of coaching, which also has been a success. Of the 18 graduates the women's soccer program has produced over the past four years, 10 are still involved with coaching either youth or high-school soccer.

"It's really a two-way street. While the kids are learning to play soccer, the student-athletes are learning to coach soccer. It really gives our varsity players a way to stay connected to the game. When they graduate, their competitive days will be over, but now they see how they can continue to give back to the sport as coaches and mentors," Kramig said.

Karlander, who aspires to coach after she's earned her degree in sport organization, said coaching participants in the M-League has been a great hands-on experience.

"I think the most important thing I've learned by coaching these kids is that you must approach every player differently," she said. "They are all individuals who have their own learning abilities, and as a coach, you must find the methods that best cater to the respective player. There's more to soccer than kicking a ball into a goal. Each player brings his or her own personal experiences to the field, and you get to learn something from every player participating."

In addition to being role models and learning about coaching, the student-athletes also enjoy simply giving back.

"It's a great way to meet the community and give back to everyone who supports Miami soccer," said junior forward Ashley Swinehart. "We really enjoy coaching the teams and meeting the kids and parents. It's a lot of fun to build relationships with the community through teaching the game we all love."