Coaching is a challenge.

Building and maintaining a marriage is a challenge.

So when two coaches get married is it more of a challenge, or does it make it easier?

While we may leave the clinical answer to that one for Dr. Phil, Dallas-area couple Shawn and Jamie Cantrell seem to be managing their dual responsibilities pretty well.

Jamie is the head coach of Dallas high school powerhouse Ursuline Academy, which has won an astonishing 18 consecutive Girls state championships, including 5 under Mrs. Cantrell. Shawn is a former professional player who now coaches at Dallas Texans and just won his first national championship last summer with the Texans U15 side. The two coached together at Dallas Sting for a number of years, and that's when Shawn actually got into coaching.

"She was coaching a Sting team and the other coach quit so she asked me to do it," he said, recalling the 1999 entry. "Once I got involved I knew I would always want to be with it."

It was a year later Shawn stopped pursuing his own playing career and began devoting more time to coaching. He currently splits time with his duties at Texans (including the current U14 and U15 Red - top tier - teams), and a day job with Merrill Lynch.

The Cantrells share their home with son Caden (1) and are expecting another child in January. Both say they won't push their kids into soccer, with Shawn's 13-year old daughter serving as proof since she plays volleyball.

Still, soccer tends to be a centerpiece of the home. How could it not be?

"My wife and I have a lot of conversations about soccer," Shawn said. "It's both of our passions. We love the beautiful game."

Among players Shawn has coached include Abby Smith, Whitney Jaynes, Jana Jeffrey, Juliann Jeffrey and Katie Smith. Between Sting and Ursuline, Jamie has coached Sophie Campise, Alina Garciamendez-Rowold, Emily Reed, Vittoria Arnold and Danielle Nottingham.
 
Jamie recalls that she and Shawn actually grew up in the same club soccer community in the Dallas area.

"We had mutual friends but our paths never crossed until we were both at SMU," Jamie said. "We really didn't like each other at first, or at least we would kid each other that we didn't, but later on I think we realized we had more of a connection and what do you know, we wound up getting married."

Coaching together seemed a natural fit as well.

"When I was at Sting at first I think I was more suited to teaching the technical side of the game. Shawn is a wonderful tactician and I told him I need your help. He came in and supplemented areas where I was deficient," she said. "Since then I've done more to develop my coaching skills, but I think the technical part is easier at first for a former player."

Now the two help each other, with Jamie given Shawn credit for trying her ideas over the years.

"Some people may read this and say ‘whatever' but our relationship really is just awesome," she said. "We are best friends. We don't always agree but we let our opinions be known. If there are differences we take a very democratic approach. He'll try my style or I'll try his style. A lot of times at home we're definitely talking about soccer."

Jamie does stress a couple of things: 1) the more important priorities of marriage and parents have to come first, even in the soccer context, and 2) The Ursuline gig is her's (for his part Shawn jokes that with his national title this summer he finally has an accolade to brag about at the family dinner table).

"With his teams and a fulltime job, sometimes we don't see him until 10 at night, so we're making the transition from having no kids to being parents," Jamie said. "We had to set some limits. We do talk about it at night, especially if there are concerns, but we have to set boundaries on how much time goes to soccer, otherwise we negate the more important things in life."