Cal Berkeley Coach (women) abusive

I’ll have to dig around the archives…it’s been a while but it’s a doozy!
I'm leaving the scene after 11 years. Can you give initials? I'm seriously out of here June 5th unless something big and awesome keeps me here. I'm looking for truth. My dd wrote an interesting bio paper about being "Fearless" for Senior project. I was impressed and soccer was a part of being fearless. She is not finished and will share if it makes sense. The teacher asked the students the following question. The Essence of who I am? My dd said Fearless. I like that and yet is scares me as a parent. I let her drive early on and boy can she drive :)

Take the wheel.jpg
 
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^^^This^^^ We cannot tolerate assholery at the youth level. When you find that *great* coach, stick with them even if the team isn't at the top of the table.

I feel fortunate that we broke ties with one youth coach (one who is well known in orange county and has quite the resume)...he showed his true colors when my daughter very graciously let him know she was moving on. I really should have posted the email he wrote to a 16 year old girl on this forum so people would know what they were getting into with this guy.
I still remember one of the top Guru's in soccer in OC talking nonsense to me. I smelled a snake man and a man with way too much power. He told me if my dd did privates with him and obeyed him and did what he says to do, he could call any college coach and tell them to pick my dd because his words are gold. Total middleman coach. However, if dad calls him out for lying and just being a weirdo, he will also tell coaches to stay clear of my kid because I ask questions. I have an idea who your dd dealt with and I think he needs to go.
 
I still remember one of the top Guru's in soccer in OC talking nonsense to me. I smelled a snake man and a man with way too much power. He told me if my dd did privates with him and obeyed him and did what he says to do, he could call any college coach and tell them to pick my dd because his words are gold. Total middleman coach. However, if dad calls him out for lying and just being a weirdo, he will also tell coaches to stay clear of my kid because I ask questions. I have an idea who your dd dealt with and I think he needs to go.
We all know how the game is played + once you've been around it for a while it's easy to see how coaches subvert official pathways forward into their best interest.

The trick to addressing the nonsense...
1. Make sure your kid gets good grades. If you have amazing grades you can get into almost any school with or without soccer
2. Watch coaches actions over what they say. If they cut + recruit 4-5 per season it's just a matter of time before your kid gets hit.
3. Remember that most kids don't know what a superteam is. They do know which teams they have friends on + have a good time playing with.
4. Remember that the top college soccer teams are a meat grinder. Coaches treat players like crap + press for unrealistic output. Is this how you want your kid to remember their college experience? Most Pro players make 50kish per year. Doesn't seem worth it.

If your kid plans to play in college getting onto a "decent" (whatever that means to you / your kid) team is the way to go for most players.

It's always better to be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond.
 
We all know how the game is played + once you've been around it for a while it's easy to see how coaches subvert official pathways forward into their best interest.

The trick to addressing the nonsense...
1. Make sure your kid gets good grades. If you have amazing grades you can get into almost any school with or without soccer
2. Watch coaches actions over what they say. If they cut + recruit 4-5 per season it's just a matter of time before your kid gets hit.
3. Remember that most kids don't know what a superteam is. They do know which teams they have friends on + have a good time playing with.
4. Remember that the top college soccer teams are a meat grinder. Coaches treat players like crap + press for unrealistic output. Is this how you want your kid to remember their college experience? Most Pro players make 50kish per year. Doesn't seem worth it.

If your kid plans to play in college getting onto a "decent" (whatever that means to you / your kid) team is the way to go for most players.

It's always better to be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond.
Hey bro, this was NEVER about college. I signed my kid to play freaking soccer. Its not my faught she was getting recruited in 7th grade and 8th grade. I was shocked how freakinh intense all this soccer was. Grades, SAT prep, tutors, privates and so much more BS just to play a sport. The pressure put on femalez is whack and not right.
 
Hey bro, this was NEVER about college. I signed my kid to play freaking soccer. Its not my faught she was getting recruited in 7th grade and 8th grade. I was shocked how freakinh intense all this soccer was. Grades, SAT prep, tutors, privates and so much more BS just to play a sport. The pressure put on femalez is whack and not right.
I think a lot of people are exactly like you when their kid first starts playing soccer.

Unfortunately over time they start looking at soccer as a the only way to get ahead + Clubs are right there to feed them a "path forward".

All I'm suggesting is if kids want to play in college great! Just understand that being on a superteam isn't always everything parents expect.
 
I think a lot of people are exactly like you when their kid first starts playing soccer.

Unfortunately over time they start looking at soccer as a the only way to get ahead + Clubs are right there to feed them a "path forward".

All I'm suggesting is if kids want to play in college great! Just understand that being on a superteam isn't always everything parents expect.
No way man. No one was like me, trust me :) Anyone who knows me knows college was not preached in my house. Hard work and no escuses was preached. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart. Soccer is a hostage. The top Guru in OC benched my kid because my kid made the mistake of being honest, saying she wasnt sure ahe wanted to attend college in order to play soccer in America after HS. The look on the Guru face when I spoke to him was priceless.
 
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Neil should have been fired a long time ago. These soccer programs cost colleges money and just need to be somewhat competitive and provide a wonderful athletic experience in the back drop of academics.
 
Looks like the Swimming coach is super mean, allegedly. Why are some coaches assholes? Why do coaches treat other fellow humans like this? WTF up you guys and read this. You think it only happens in swimming? My dd was told by a top coach that the more he yells at a player=the more I care for that player. Yikes!!!

If this happened in the classroom this would not fly.
 
If this happened in the classroom this would not fly.
I was thinking about my office work days and even my college days. No professor ever yelled like this at me or had so much control of my life and dreams. I was salesman and also office sales manager for a few years in the Yellow Pages and no one went this far. I do remember a yeller manager who wanted more from his sales reps and yelled at low performers. Male or female, you got called out and embarrassed in front of the other sales members. He got fired for being rude, yelling and then hitting on the same female reps at work sponsored Happy Hours. A few girls complained and rightfully so.
 
Neil should have been fired a long time ago. These soccer programs cost colleges money and just need to be somewhat competitive and provide a wonderful athletic experience in the back drop of academics.
Cal once again doesn't make NCAA's this year. I think they have only made it 3 times in the last 8 years (and lost in round 1 each time). Even putting the abuse claims to the side for a minute, I would have to agree with you based upon the teams performance.
 
Cal once again doesn't make NCAA's this year. I think they have only made it 3 times in the last 8 years (and lost in round 1 each time). Even putting the abuse claims to the side for a minute, I would have to agree with you based upon the teams performance.

He pulls a rabbit out of his hat every other season. This wasn't that season.
 
He pulls a rabbit out of his hat every other season. This wasn't that season.
Feels like Cal should be a top program every year, so only making the tournament once in 4 years doesn't feel like much of a magic trick to me. Despite the rumors of abuse, the program continues to attract great players but not be a consistently great program.
2023-Didn't make NCAAs
2022-Lost in first round
2021-Didn't make NCAAs
2020-Didn't make NCAAs
2019-Lost in first round
2018-Didn't make NCAAs
2017-Lost in first round
2016-Didn't make NCAAs
 
Feels like Cal should be a top program every year, so only making the tournament once in 4 years doesn't feel like much of a magic trick to me. Despite the rumors of abuse, the program continues to attract great players but not be a consistently great program.
2023-Didn't make NCAAs
2022-Lost in first round
2021-Didn't make NCAAs
2020-Didn't make NCAAs
2019-Lost in first round
2018-Didn't make NCAAs
2017-Lost in first round
2016-Didn't make NCAAs

I agree. He's now been there 18-years. We've seen all we're going to see, right? Cal is annually considered a "best bang for the buck" school so it's odd he's not had more success. Lately he's attracted great goalkeepers... but beyond that?

"Under McGuire's tutelage, the Bears have amassed 6 All Americans, 39 All Region performers and 50 All Pac 12 honorees." Only 50 in nearly 20 years? It does say he's made the tournament "in 13 of his 16" seasons in Berkeley but, to your point, a real decline since 2016.
 
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