Does D1 LH = Good Coach?

Met a D1 LH coach who claimed he was a good coach because his team was a LH D1 program. My question - does D1 = good coach?

Unfortunately his girls played like a bunch of thugs in two separate matches - forearms to the face, two fisted shoves from behind when a player got beat, clotheslining a girl trying to dribble to the goal, etc. After the 5th shove from behind, one of his players finally got a yellow card after being repeatedly warned and she went crying to her mom.

The girls are not born to play this way I think they are taught to play really bad ball by certain coaches. Well maybe the coach isn't actively saying clothline her if she gets near the goal, but he isn't pulling the player or telling her that is wrong -- super sad - IMHO.

Maybe I am wrong here - I post this looking for feedback.

No LH D1 does not = good coach. The players that play rough or even dirty are covering deficiencies in technique, positioning, speed, understanding, you name it, by fouling. If the coach does not or cannot correct the problem and the referee does not call the fouls then eventually the players begin to protect themselves. The end result is, the player that fouls all the time gets hurt. There are no enforcers in soccer, those players become spectators.

Simple answer - uh, hell no.

Shootnscore wrote:Met a D1 LH coach who claimed he was a good coach because his team was a LH D1 program. My question - does D1 = good coach?

Unfortunately his girls played like a bunch of thugs in two separate matches - forearms to the face, two fisted shoves from behind when a player got beat, clotheslining a girl trying to dribble to the goal, etc. After the 5th shove from behind, one of his players finally got a yellow card after being repeatedly warned and she went crying to her mom.

The girls are not born to play this way I think they are taught to play really bad ball by certain coaches. Well maybe the coach isn't actively saying clothline her if she gets near the goal, but he isn't pulling the player or telling her that is wrong -- super sad - IMHO.

Maybe I am wrong here - I post this looking for feedback.

Are you by chance a Fever parent?

Shootnscore wrote:Met a D1 LH coach who claimed he was a good coach because his team was a LH D1 program. My question - does D1 = good coach?

Unfortunately his girls played like a bunch of thugs in two separate matches - forearms to the face, two fisted shoves from behind when a player got beat, clotheslining a girl trying to dribble to the goal, etc. After the 5th shove from behind, one of his players finally got a yellow card after being repeatedly warned and she went crying to her mom.

The girls are not born to play this way I think they are taught to play really bad ball by certain coaches. Well maybe the coach isn't actively saying clothline her if she gets near the goal, but he isn't pulling the player or telling her that is wrong -- super sad - IMHO.

Maybe I am wrong here - I post this looking for feedback.

If a coach has a D1 team, he is obviously superior to anyone below that level. How could it be otherwise? Parents know coaching talent when they see it. As for the rough play, if you don't like it, then don't watch Guzman's team while they're playing.

Thanks for the feedback. Not trying to call any specific teams out in any way, shape or form, but am curious if this type of play and coaching is to be expected in D1 LH. I truly hope it isn't the majority. We definitely don't mind aggressive play, but dirty play is another story.

I have an 00 DD in PYSA who is loving soccer at that level. My other DD turns select next year and currently is on a team headed to D1 LH. Her current team is teaching good fundamental ball focusing and skills and strategy and they are doing very well.

Just trying to understand what to expect in order to make the right decision for our family regarding soccer for the next season.

Shootnscore wrote:Thanks for the feedback. Not trying to call any specific teams out in any way, shape or form, but am curious if this type of play and coaching is to be expected in D1 LH. I truly hope it isn't the majority. We definitely don't mind aggressive play, but dirty play is another story.

I have an 00 DD in PYSA who is loving soccer at that level. My other DD turns select next year and currently is on a team headed to D1 LH. Her current team is teaching good fundamental ball focusing and skills and strategy and they are doing very well.

Just trying to understand what to expect in order to make the right decision for our family regarding soccer for the next season.

All kidding aside, the cheapshot play will get worse and worse in select soccer the longer your daughter stays in it. Much of the training emphasis here in North Texas is on physical play. At the D1 level, if your daughter can't play with the opponent climbing her back and hacking at her legs, she won't get very far. It is survival of the fittest. And I don't think it's necessarily that so many coaches "teach" thuggery; they just tend to allow or even encourage it when it benefits their teams. Then we have officials that seldom call the obvious fouls and evidentally don't even own yellow or red cards. It's just a brutal game more often than not, and the real creativity begins to disappear at around U12-U13.

There is a huge difference between a good coach and a good recruiter...and unfortunately, the good recruiter wins more games.

There is dirty play in PYSA too. Seen it many a time. I think it seems to happen more when a team is overmatched or in the wrong league. Kids get frustrated. Parents scream at their kids to try harder. How many times do you here some crazy mom yelling 'don't let her push you like that'? Next thing you know, nasty fouls and injuries start to happen. 95% of the time the parents are more likely the cause than coach. Not a lot of coaches stupid enough to use flopping and fouling as their main plan. Nasty bad sport kids tend to come from nasty bad sport moms and dads.

How many times do you here some crazy mom yelling 'don't let her push you like that'?

LMAO, i heard that during the season, a mom yelled out " don't let her push you like that, don't take that crap". The girls were 9.......

I do not want to make any assumptions Shootnscore, but are you referring to matches from 4 X 4 Raging Creek tournament over the weekend?

So, I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess you are a Fever parent, and you are referring to the 4x4 match this weekend. To those of you reading this who are NOT psycho soccer moms, please realize that there are two sides to every story. I would have said that the other team played like thugs and were more physical than our girls. I guess you see what you want to see. Of course, I wouldn't have put my complaints on the forum and disguised it as wanting feedback about the quality of a coach. I didn't see the girl get pushed...which doesn't mean it didn't happen, but I can't say for sure one way or the other. But the reason the girl who got carded was so upset was because the Fever parents were screaming AWFUL things at her for the entire game.

Yes, soccer in North Texas is too physical, but does it help when a parent rushes on to the field screaming at the ref, the coaches, the parents, and the girls? NO! That just makes it worse and makes a fool out of the parent. That game was physical on both sides, and our girls got as much contact as they gave. Our coach teaches passing, 1v1, and possession, and when our girls get physical, it's usually a result of the parents' sideline attitude rather than anything they learned in practice. I'd say that's pretty much the case on every team.

Is our coach a good coach because he has a D1 team? No! He's the right coach for MY dd because she plays better under his coaching that she has under other coaches. He may not be right for every girl, but he's right for her. That's the more appropriate question, here. But my guess is that's not really want you want to know. The answer to your REAL question is no, he doesn't tell our girls to play aggressively and foul like crazy.

Based on the prior post shootnscore I think I know the matches you are discussing. First, I think reasonable people would probably disagree on the definition of a good coach. That said I think it is pretty clear that a D1 LH coach does not necessarily equal good coach. However, I would say in my opinnion most probably are good coaches.

As to the matches you are referring, I caught the last portion of the first match and all of the second. Since I did not see all of the first match I will reserve comments, other than to say that the girl you are referring to that received the yellow card and went crying to her mother, is one of the sweetest girls I have meet. I did not see the foul, but comparing this girl to a thug is like comparing Hello Kitty to a gangster. It would not surprise me if she has not been called for a single foul in D1 all year- I know she has never had a yellow card. Don't get me wrong I am not saying she did not foul (I was not there), but I think clearly the fact that she went crying to her mother shows whatever happened was not intentional and certainly not coached. I do not think you would get that kind of response from a girl trying to play dirty, do you? I can tell you when I got there the little girl (thug) was very upset about the foul and even more upset because the parents from the other team were screaming at her. Again I only saw the last part of the match so I cannot comment further.

As for the second match I cannot see how anyone could have watched that match and thought it it was dirty play or poor coaching. From my vantage point it went both ways. I do think the team you referred to as thugs were much more aggressive and if that is thug then I guess they are guilty. It is also interesting to note in that game one of the girls on your team fouled a girl on the thug team and she hurt her knee- not allowing her to play the remaining matches. But I do not think your girls are thugs or poorly coached and certainly none of our parents yelled at the girl who fouled her. It is also important to note that no cards were given out on either side for that match, nor did I see anything that deserved a card.


To be honest and I am trying not to sound condescending, but I think what you experienced this weekend is a little taste of what D1 LH soccer is like (as others have mentioned). And based on the teams we played in qualifying and other tournament I would assume D3 LH soccer is much the same. I saw nothing in the second game that looked any different from what we see every Saturday in LH. I don’t know maybe the play is more physical in LH D1 leagues than in other, but I can tell you for a fact the girls have never been coached to play dirty. That said I was impressed with the girls on your team, I thought several of them have some nice skills.

Soccer is, has been and will always be a rough sport. Very hot and intense. Both the players and the parents feel this heat inside. Fouls, pushing, shoving, tripping. You name it. If your kid is "to clean" she won't be able to keep up. Nothing wrong with yelling to not let be pushed around. Very competitive and that's what makes it interesting and at times addiciting. I suggest you take your kid to watch boys or even grown up men to see what rough and competitive soccer is all about.

First I do want to apologize for referring to these young ladies as thugs. A few days after the fact, I realize my error - and am truly sorry for any ill feelings that may have occurred. The yellow card foul was committed on my daughter, so I was more sensitive to the activities of the day compared to most. And for the record in no way shape or form did I yell at the girl committing the pretty harsh foul against my daughter. I don't recall any of our parents yelling at her either, but again, at that moment, I was more concerned making sure my kid was okay. Think all our parents were a bit in a state of shock on the overly aggressive and at time dirty play.

I wish the ref would have called a tighter game on both sides of the field. Hate, absolutely hate, when any player gets hurt. We had one leave the tourney after getting a deep thigh bruise and another escorted off the field after writhing in pain from the clothesline. I hope the girl with the knee injury is okay.

I do appreciate all the replies and candor. My intent was pure in seeking to understand, but my emotions ran high in my original post. My family is truly at a crossroads on deciding the right soccer fit for our daughter and our family. I thought you guys would be a good source of information since you have recently BTDT. Thanks again for taking the time to read and respond. Think we have found a good coach and good bunch of girls, but the question remains is if LH D1 is the right place for us.

Best of luck to all your DD's.

I appreciate your honesty shootnscore and I understand your concern for your daughter. I think the girl on the team that got hurt is felling better and I hope your daughter is as well. Just out of curiosity are you all an 02 or 03 team?

Shootnscore wrote:Met a D1 LH coach who claimed he was a good coach because his team was a LH D1 program. My question - does D1 = good coach?

Unfortunately his girls played like a bunch of thugs in two separate matches - forearms to the face, two fisted shoves from behind when a player got beat, clotheslining a girl trying to dribble to the goal, etc. After the 5th shove from behind, one of his players finally got a yellow card after being repeatedly warned and she went crying to her mom.

The girls are not born to play this way I think they are taught to play really bad ball by certain coaches. Well maybe the coach isn't actively saying clothline her if she gets near the goal, but he isn't pulling the player or telling her that is wrong -- super sad - IMHO.

Maybe I am wrong here - I post this looking for feedback.

When did the coach claim he was a "good coach because his team was a LH D1 program?" I'm just curious about the circumstances around the conversation.

Referee wrote: Soccer is, has been and will always be a rough sport. Very hot and intense. Both the players and the parents feel this heat inside. Fouls, pushing, shoving, tripping. You name it. If your kid is "to clean" she won't be able to keep up. Nothing wrong with yelling to not let be pushed around. Very competitive and that's what makes it interesting and at times addiciting. I suggest you take your kid to watch boys or even grown up men to see what rough and competitive soccer is all about.

It is false that "clean" players can't succeed.
"Competitive" is not a synonym for reckless, dangerous, or yelling. Teams and players can be fiercely competitive and successful without any of those things.
Some of the non-calls in local girls' games would be clear fouls in EPL.

You've got a lot to learn intrinsic. Even Messi pushes his way around sometimes. They very best are always "pushing" the envelope to see how much they can get away with until the ref takes action.

Thanks for the education. I only watch EPL and never heard of him.

Seriously, we are talking about very different degrees of physical play.