Manodedios wrote:

soccer_dc wrote:

Manodedios wrote:

Pepe wrote:Obviously everyone still must "develop". Even pros still practice and get better... but it's not the supreme goal of a ECNL U16+ coach. These girls are being scouted and competing at the USYNT level! When they see issues, they address them, but we need a coach to coach to win (mostly). Girls are learning nuances for extreme talent, not developing skills they don't already know very well.
I think the difference is developing seems to mean early years vice later. No one stops learning and growing, but certainly done developing.

It still should be. Based on my experience with VDA, it definitely wasn’t even on the radar for the coach and ECNL Director, but hopefully your experience is better.

At the u16+ ages, development becomes somewhat self guided and motivated. Certainly things like development of strength and conditioning and nutrition come mainly from the player and people outside the coaching staff. I do see club coaches working with players at these ages on "classroom" development...pre and post game video analysis, tactical planning for upcoming opponents, mental preparation.

Agree that development is going to be entirely self-motivated and the work done individually, but not primarily self-guided. A player might know some things they need work on, but likely need direction on others. I see where some coaches (not from this area, unfortunately) mark up Veo for the “classroom” development (which is primarily what I’m talking about) but also to point out technical deficiencies/mistakes individual players are making. I don’t think coaches should be expected to have any role in S&C/SAQ training, but the better clubs at least offer some form of general programming for their players…Doesn’t seem that common in the clubs in our area, though.

soccerx3kidsss wrote:This thread and subject topic went on a bit of a tangent focusing on Div 1 and scholarship being the holy grail and which club has the best record for placing players in college…yawn. That doesn’t impress me. Why you ask? Because that has nothing to do with being a good coach. If you think it does then stop reading now.

Players NEVER stop developing. So any coach who isn't thinking about making their players 1% better every time they are with them should not be on the field. A coach's job is to help develop players into the best they can be. Technical, tactical, physical, mental, soccer IQ, etc...the list goes on. I have not yet laid my eyes on a coach who impresses me in this area and it's a shame to see what being a professional soccer coach has turned into. Seems like anyone can be a professional coach and there are no standards that need to be met anymore.  Who are the coaches that kids want to play for with a exceptional reputation! I need better odds than “love them or hate them”. I want better odds than 50/50 all the time. Everywhere I turn I find dud after dud "professional coach" who thinks showing up and doing the same session every week while sitting in a chair is enough. If a player has the support they need to develop + they are passionate about playing college and your top level coach works their contacts for you then that is just a bonus.
 
I want to keep the focus on the best coaches at the ECNL and GA level in this area. and what truly makes them the best in this area. 
Coaches can boast about their rolodex of contacts, but that doesn't make them a good coach. We have a problem with quality coaches in this country! It's a serious problem and In the US anyone can be a professional soccer coach. No questions asked. I am seeing worse and worse coaches on the sidelines every year. Clubs are evaluating them properly. They continue to keep their job no matter what they do or don't do. 

Hence the question…BEST COACHES…NOT THE BEST HEAD HUNTERS and YELLERS. Let's drop some names!!!

A quick Google search helped me find top qualities good coaches possess are:

Organized (Can create dynamic session plans and not perform the same session plan week to week) 
Good Communicator
Punctual
Committed 
Passionate
Trustworthy
Disciplined
Self aware 
Empathic
Motivational
Positive
Knowledge of the game (Technical and Tactical) 
Excels at player management
Caring and Patient
Spends extra time and makes themselves available to players
Knows how to create a positive team culture
Knows how to talk to their players and push them to get the most out of them during practices and games
Can share their experiences.
Has played the game at a high level or studied the game at a high level. 
Has a background in teaching or is constantly willing to learn and grow
Has strong relationships with past players
Is a Leader
Performs proper player evaluations

novasoccer15324 wrote:Here's the post you have been waiting for.

Here/s your list:

2010:
Loudon: Rae-Ann Taylor
Union: Matt Lee
BRAVE: Michel Vanderhart
Arlington: Makenzie Wright
VDA Alex Silver

2009:
Loudon: Rae-Ann Taylor
Union: Nadir Moumen
BRAVE: Lindsey Ottavio
Arlington: Molly Menchel
VDA Alex Silver

2008:
Loudon: Nick Surkamp
Union: Brent Leiba
BRAVE: Michel Vanderhart
Arlington: Joseph Nemzer
VDA: Mikey Welsh

2007:
Loudon: Phil Leversedge
Union: Clyde Watson
BRAVE: Gene Mishalow
Arlington: Haytham Mansur
VDA: Michelle Alioto


2006:
BRAVE: Tyler Mishalow
Union: Brent Leiba
Loudon: Phil Leversedge
Arlington: Joseph Nemzer
VDA: Mikey Welsh

2005/2004:
Arlington: Declan Cole
VDA: Scott Sinclair
Loudon: Dave Bucciero
Union: Nadir Moumen
BRAVE: Tyler Mishalow



1. Clyde Watson
-Unquestioned reputation in the area, but is retiring. Basically built Mclean's girls program with his own hands over the last 20 years.

2. Nadir Moumen / Mikey Welsh
-Not the most warm and fuzzy personalities but have an established track record of many years of high performing teams, even if your DD hates playing for them. Even if your DD dislikes their personality and coaching style, she will still play for them because of the light at the end of the tunnel.

Bobby Puppione and Christian Czommer from FCV also make an appearance here because of the track record with their teams. Even if your DD dislikes their personality and coaching style, she will still play for them because of the light at the end of the tunnel.


3. Michel Vanderhart / Gene Mishalow / Rae Ann Taylor
-Coaching veterans in the area who have been grinding it out for 20+ years and have a ton of experience but not the benefit of coaching for a club with reputationally has pulled in the best girls talent in the area (Mclean / FCV typically)
Some people have mixed feelings about these coaches (love/hate relationship) but undeniably they are veteran coaches in the area.

4. Phil Leversedge / Dave Bucciero / Brent Leiba
-A group of very smart coaches who can really coach. Dave used to be the women's coach at AU, Phil and Brent are extremely brainy and capable, experienced coaches who have a lot of experience in the game and are respected.

George Hales makes an appearance here, not sure if he is still coaching with Metro United or not but I'd put him here.


5. Michelle Alioto / Hayhtam Mansur / Tyler Mishalow / Matt Lee
-All very capable coaches who have coached in the area for a while and probably have cabinets full of trophies for state cups, tournament trophies, and ODP accolades.

6. Joseph Nemzer / Scott Sinclar / Declan Cole
Experienced in coaching at college levels but by their bios it looks like this is their first year or two coaching youth players, which is completely different. BRYC experimented with this method the last few years by bringing former college coaches in to coach some age groups and it was a disaster. These coaches are fine for a U18/U19 team that is in its last year already. A lack of experience coaching youth players may be covered over by being handed a strong age group to begin with.


7. Lindsey Ottavio / Molly Menchel / Nick Surkamp / Mackenzie Wright
-Experienced in soccer as former players but haven't established themselves in the area or a coaching reputation / track record yet on the girls side. I'm sure they are all good coaches, but they are being compared to the list above so they fall at #7.

8. Alex Silver
-Do your own research

Pepe wrote:

soccerx3kidsss wrote:This thread and subject topic went on a bit of a tangent focusing on Div 1 and scholarship being the holy grail and which club has the best record for placing players in college…yawn. That doesn’t impress me. Why you ask? Because that has nothing to do with being a good coach. If you think it does then stop reading now.

Players NEVER stop developing. So any coach who isn't thinking about making their players 1% better every time they are with them should not be on the field. A coach's job is to help develop players into the best they can be. Technical, tactical, physical, mental, soccer IQ, etc...the list goes on. I have not yet laid my eyes on a coach who impresses me in this area and it's a shame to see what being a professional soccer coach has turned into. Seems like anyone can be a professional coach and there are no standards that need to be met anymore.  Who are the coaches that kids want to play for with a exceptional reputation! I need better odds than “love them or hate them”. I want better odds than 50/50 all the time. Everywhere I turn I find dud after dud "professional coach" who thinks showing up and doing the same session every week while sitting in a chair is enough. If a player has the support they need to develop + they are passionate about playing college and your top level coach works their contacts for you then that is just a bonus.
 
I want to keep the focus on the best coaches at the ECNL and GA level in this area. and what truly makes them the best in this area. 
Coaches can boast about their rolodex of contacts, but that doesn't make them a good coach. We have a problem with quality coaches in this country! It's a serious problem and In the US anyone can be a professional soccer coach. No questions asked. I am seeing worse and worse coaches on the sidelines every year. Clubs are evaluating them properly. They continue to keep their job no matter what they do or don't do. 

Hence the question…BEST COACHES…NOT THE BEST HEAD HUNTERS and YELLERS. Let's drop some names!!!

A quick Google search helped me find top qualities good coaches possess are:

Organized (Can create dynamic session plans and not perform the same session plan week to week) 
Good Communicator
Punctual
Committed 
Passionate
Trustworthy
Disciplined
Self aware 
Empathic
Motivational
Positive
Knowledge of the game (Technical and Tactical) 
Excels at player management
Caring and Patient
Spends extra time and makes themselves available to players
Knows how to create a positive team culture
Knows how to talk to their players and push them to get the most out of them during practices and games
Can share their experiences.
Has played the game at a high level or studied the game at a high level. 
Has a background in teaching or is constantly willing to learn and grow
Has strong relationships with past players
Is a Leader
Performs proper player evaluations

JFC. This is the most bullcrap I've seen on DCUM in a long time. Please never copy paste something you Googled. FFS... it IS about getting into college for a lot of folks here. If you DD or DS loves the game, super. A great coach at most ECNL/GA high levels need a coach who can win with the talent he has. Make adjustments. Be committed to the girls. "push them to get the most out of them". I vomited. I promise you, when 16 year olds are 1-9 and losing by 4 each game, they give an F about you 'pushing them'. Good lawd, you still have time to delete your post.

novasoccer15324 wrote:Here's a disclaimer. About 50% of all these coaches are actually disliked/hated around the area. 25% of them are unproven, and 25% of them are veterans and people have a mix of love-hate relationships with them.

Why do you ask? Well I'll let everyone else respond to that on specific coaches. It's not too hard to list all the coaches by their initials with a little bit of research.

I'll say this. When you're a coach who inherits a team of the clubs best players, it's sometimes hard to see the gaps in coaching ability or the coach's knowledge. They are working with players who are already very talented in their own right and mostly deserve to be there, except for the u13 teams where they grandfather and players who may not really deserve a spot. But they eliminate them by u14 typically.

I won't name names but if you take some of the more successful coaches on this list by measurement of trophies they have won, and you put them with developing players, most of them would struggle. On this list you're going to run into coaches who do not know how to develop players, only know how to crack the whip on them and motivate them to play harder and be more competitive players, but not actually develop them more. That is why they don't work with younger age groups and they don't work with developmental players, only players who have already made it to a very high level. This masks their lack of coaching ability.

soccermum79 wrote:

novasoccer15324 wrote:Here's a disclaimer. About 50% of all these coaches are actually disliked/hated around the area. 25% of them are unproven, and 25% of them are veterans and people have a mix of love-hate relationships with them.

Why do you ask? Well I'll let everyone else respond to that on specific coaches. It's not too hard to list all the coaches by their initials with a little bit of research.

I'll say this. When you're a coach who inherits a team of the clubs best players, it's sometimes hard to see the gaps in coaching ability or the coach's knowledge. They are working with players who are already very talented in their own right and mostly deserve to be there, except for the u13 teams where they grandfather and players who may not really deserve a spot. But they eliminate them by u14 typically.

I won't name names but if you take some of the more successful coaches on this list by measurement of trophies they have won, and you put them with developing players, most of them would struggle. On this list you're going to run into coaches who do not know how to develop players, only know how to crack the whip on them and motivate them to play harder and be more competitive players, but not actually develop them more. That is why they don't work with younger age groups and they don't work with developmental players, only players who have already made it to a very high level. This masks their lack of coaching ability.

This. So true.

soccer4life wrote:We did what research we could when selecting which club/coach our daughter wanted to commit too but no matter what you find out you never really know how that coach will be with your daughter and team until after you've accepted and season begins. You'll see what you want to see you'll hear what you want to hear and then season begins. We are trying to "trust the process" as we are often told but it's hard to do that when you've been trying to give this club the benefit of the doubt lacking in direction, leadership, COMMUNICATION. The biggest disappointment has been in the lack of support, experience, leadership and communication from her coach. We don't know if in-experience blindsides leadership decisions or what? We want our daughter to develop, be pushed if that takes stern/harsh coaching tactics/tell it like it is direction and leadership. At least then she'll know what strengths she excels at and what weaknesses to work harder on rather than playing the guessing game with her coach wondering/questioning her own development, confidence, being an asset to the team. We are currently attending other club practices to see their coaches in action. The hard thing about that is you don't know if coaching slate will change.

Blutarski wrote:

soccer4life wrote:We did what research we could when selecting which club/coach our daughter wanted to commit too but no matter what you find out you never really know how that coach will be with your daughter and team until after you've accepted and season begins. You'll see what you want to see you'll hear what you want to hear and then season begins. We are trying to "trust the process" as we are often told but it's hard to do that when you've been trying to give this club the benefit of the doubt lacking in direction, leadership, COMMUNICATION. The biggest disappointment has been in the lack of support, experience, leadership and communication from her coach. We don't know if in-experience blindsides leadership decisions or what? We want our daughter to develop, be pushed if that takes stern/harsh coaching tactics/tell it like it is direction and leadership. At least then she'll know what strengths she excels at and what weaknesses to work harder on rather than playing the guessing game with her coach wondering/questioning her own development, confidence, being an asset to the team. We are currently attending other club practices to see their coaches in action. The hard thing about that is you don't know if coaching slate will change.

Sigh. And to really ruin your day, lest you think that it gets better in college... it doesn't. The coaches and/or programs at the college level, generally speaking, are only of slightly better quality or integrity than at the club level. Making it even tougher, your player has less ability to scout the situation in advance, and even worse options to get out after you get a taste that freshman year. It's no wonder that the fallout rate in college soccer is so high.