Potomac ECNL coach out

[Anonymous]

Something must have happened. He’s been with Potomac forever. Since my son was a u9 and he’s u16 now (though we left long ago). If it was just performance, they wouldn’t have made it such an abrupt departure. There must have been a huge blow up between him and the club to not just finish out the season.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also his son is also on the team; so one of those mullet situations

Really? Does he stay? Wow.

[Anonymous]

Agree with 7:09 poster. He and his family were sort of like Potomac Soccer royalty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Something must have happened. He’s been with Potomac forever. Since my son was a u9 and he’s u16 now (though we left long ago). If it was just performance, they wouldn’t have made it such an abrupt departure. There must have been a huge blow up between him and the club to not just finish out the season.

Can't rule out toxic parents conspiracy possibility

[Anonymous]

All I know is that I hope a parent from the team comes in here.
This is far too interesting, and needs some firsthand answers.

[Anonymous]

There are a lot of theories that make sense, if he had left at the end of the season.
I mean, the ECNL/RL has started out terribly, and there’s only one team in all of their years that’s competitive. Plus, one of the reasons they got ECNL in the first place was because of how good their 2008 team was, and then they promptly lost many of their good players to BSC.
So I don’t want to say that their NL/RL program is a disaster…you can expect some growing pains the first year or two…but I’m sure things haven’t gone like they had hoped.
But again…why now?!?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are a lot of theories that make sense, if he had left at the end of the season.
I mean, the ECNL/RL has started out terribly, and there’s only one team in all of their years that’s competitive. Plus, one of the reasons they got ECNL in the first place was because of how good their 2008 team was, and then they promptly lost many of their good players to BSC.
So I don’t want to say that their NL/RL program is a disaster…you can expect some growing pains the first year or two…but I’m sure things haven’t gone like they had hoped.
But again…why now?!?

funny
the mentioned good 2008's came in together from a small club then left together for a bigger club

Potomac was a layover

[Anonymous]

He either intentionally carved out a lack of accountability within the club for years, or the lack of accountability was permitted to exist. I have no direct knowledge of this sudden departure but it’s not surprising. Just overdue. Potomac will be better off with this departure imho. The 09 team is not the only one for which he has coached his own kid, self-managed the team, and was his own direct report. It’s hard to remain objective, and persuade parents you’re objective, when it looks a lot like nepotism. I agree with the post describing him as royalty but not in the way it was intended. It’s been unseemly and toxic for years. Potomac is a good club, focused on skill and development from an early age. Lots of toxic parents everywhere in travel sports in MoCo/DMV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He either intentionally carved out a lack of accountability within the club for years, or the lack of accountability was permitted to exist. I have no direct knowledge of this sudden departure but it’s not surprising. Just overdue. Potomac will be better off with this departure imho. The 09 team is not the only one for which he has coached his own kid, self-managed the team, and was his own direct report. It’s hard to remain objective, and persuade parents you’re objective, when it looks a lot like nepotism. I agree with the post describing him as royalty but not in the way it was intended. It’s been unseemly and toxic for years. Potomac is a good club, focused on skill and development from an early age. Lots of toxic parents everywhere in travel sports in MoCo/DMV.

Based on DCUM postings, almost every club in the DMV is focused on skill and development from an early age

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are a lot of theories that make sense, if he had left at the end of the season.
I mean, the ECNL/RL has started out terribly, and there’s only one team in all of their years that’s competitive. Plus, one of the reasons they got ECNL in the first place was because of how good their 2008 team was, and then they promptly lost many of their good players to BSC.
So I don’t want to say that their NL/RL program is a disaster…you can expect some growing pains the first year or two…but I’m sure things haven’t gone like they had hoped.
But again…why now?!?

funny
the mentioned good 2008's came in together from a small club then left together for a bigger club

Potomac was a layover

No, that was the 2009 team.

[Anonymous]

I would think the reasonable assumption here would be that he got pushed out. Look at it from his POV. He helped get Potomac an ECNL team, appointed himself as the coach of the national team, put his son (with little experience) in as the only goalie… it was a dream scenario. Why would he leave?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He either intentionally carved out a lack of accountability within the club for years, or the lack of accountability was permitted to exist. I have no direct knowledge of this sudden departure but it’s not surprising. Just overdue. Potomac will be better off with this departure imho. The 09 team is not the only one for which he has coached his own kid, self-managed the team, and was his own direct report. It’s hard to remain objective, and persuade parents you’re objective, when it looks a lot like nepotism. I agree with the post describing him as royalty but not in the way it was intended. It’s been unseemly and toxic for years. Potomac is a good club, focused on skill and development from an early age. Lots of toxic parents everywhere in travel sports in MoCo/DMV.

I absolutely agree with this, and am speaking from previous experience with him. Toxic and unseemly is correct.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree with 7:09 poster. He and his family were sort of like Potomac Soccer royalty.

But not in a good way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He either intentionally carved out a lack of accountability within the club for years, or the lack of accountability was permitted to exist. I have no direct knowledge of this sudden departure but it’s not surprising. Just overdue. Potomac will be better off with this departure imho. The 09 team is not the only one for which he has coached his own kid, self-managed the team, and was his own direct report. It’s hard to remain objective, and persuade parents you’re objective, when it looks a lot like nepotism. I agree with the post describing him as royalty but not in the way it was intended. It’s been unseemly and toxic for years. Potomac is a good club, focused on skill and development from an early age. Lots of toxic parents everywhere in travel sports in MoCo/DMV.

Based on DCUM postings, almost every club in the DMV is focused on skill and development from an early age

I should have read this before I posted below, lol! But at least I now know I’m not the only one that saw it this way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are a lot of theories that make sense, if he had left at the end of the season.
I mean, the ECNL/RL has started out terribly, and there’s only one team in all of their years that’s competitive. Plus, one of the reasons they got ECNL in the first place was because of how good their 2008 team was, and then they promptly lost many of their good players to BSC.
So I don’t want to say that their NL/RL program is a disaster…you can expect some growing pains the first year or two…but I’m sure things haven’t gone like they had hoped.
But again…why now?!?

I’m not sure you can say all that when the RL team is actually doing really well.