Ivies or not, Women’s soccer will be one of the last sports to be cut so majority if not all shouldn’t have to worry about that as long as Football and BBall exists. Now these programs could reduce their budget for sure. I can see schools dropping their second assistants and making it volunteer positions and what not.
Cal Berkeley Coach (women) abusive
- Thread starter oh canada
- Start date
The key word in your post - and the reason you are wrong - is “he”. Men’s and women’s soccer are different things. What you describe is not what happens in women’s soccer in major programs, including at Cal.
dk_b
GOLD
a single anecdote may be the exception that proves the rule, esp because your point was presently on the roster, but I do know a former player (graduated several years ago but she’s still in her 20s so not that long) who had committed to play D2, got admitted to Cal, visited the coach (who had no idea who she was), was offered a roster spot and played 2 years before focusing on athletics. But that’s a shot in the dark, like the player who shows up at a random ID camp as a no name who earns a spot. It happens but it is exceptionally rare.
You’re right...can never be too far of a reach just for sport. Needs to be a solid student or it makes no sense trying to get into an Ivy on basis of soccer.
One thing to verbally commit to play at Stanford or Cal. Another to get past the Admissions Office!
eastbaysoccer
GOLD
More athletes describe years of mistreatment by Cal soccer coach
Nearly two dozen current and former Cal women's soccer players have contacted KTVU to share disturbing accounts of verbal abuse, bullying, and mistreatment by their long-time coach. Their stories stretch back more than a decade and they all say they were brushed off when they complained.
Second follow up w cal with more women coming forward. The athletic director better act fast or he will be swept away with Neil too. Cal needs to pick their poison. Litigation from a growing number of cal Alums or litigation from Neil when he’s fired.
MacDre
PREMIER
I am not sure how I feel about it. Full disclosure, I like Neil and I’d like to think that there’s a high probability that my kid will play for him in the near future. So, I don’t want to be dismissive of what these young ladies have experienced and although I am concerned, I am not yet convinced there is a problem.
From the letters I read, I kind of felt some of the ladies lack grit and wanted to be coddled and have their hands held in a cutthroat competitive environment. Seriously?
Many of the things these ladies are complaining about are present in ALL competitive environments. I remember @MakeAPlay mentioning the hunger games at UCLA and warning about the high transfer rate at FSU. What about the high turnover rates of associates at accounting and law firms? Is it Neil or are these ladies having a hard time accepting the finality of the biggest failure of their lives?
I am a “straight shooter” and that is one of the qualities I like most about Neil. I have no problem with him being direct.
I'm old school bro and shoot straight too. Keep in mind, these were all little girls playing soccer and their sharing their story. Let's give them the benefit of the doubt. We all can and should do better as men. I've made a few mistakes in my life and I can own it.
MacDre
PREMIER
Nope. Not little girls. We are talking about young ladies. If you were Neil, how would you inform a young lady that you felt that you had been hoodwinked, bamboozled, she sucks, doesn’t have what it takes, and you want your money back so you can find a player that can get the job done?
Perhaps not unlike @MacDre, my experience with Neil has always been positive. I'm sure there were things that could have been handled better/differently (there always are), but trial by media is unfortunate. The fact that Cal, one of the greatest institutions in the world, has stood behind him to date is telling. Maybe that changes. Either way, not sure anybody wins here.
I'm talking about the system the young ladies were brought up in as young girls. Cal is awesome school. I dont know coach or the girls. Maybe they can all talk and make it better. I do agree with others that many like his style. We should fix the wrongs why we all have time to do it. Teachers come on here all the time so they can chime in to help fix these problems. Most girls dont like getting yelled at, can we agree on that?
MacDre
PREMIER
No one likes getting yelled but it is part of life. I like my kid playing sports because it’s a microcosm of the real world. The women that I served in the United States Marine Corps didn’t like getting yelled at either but they were forced to learn that shit rolls downhill so don’t stay at the bottom and they learned how to improvise, adapt, and overcome obstacles. Maybe these young ladies just don’t have what it takes and that’s okay. I have failed in my life and know that if it doesn’t kill you, it’ll make you stronger.
You make women seem weak.
There are 3 sides to every story. I will never condone coaches abusing their players, but it must be frustrating for coaches - after all it seems a large majority of girls play soccer to get a college scholarship or to get into a specific university. Only a small minority want to go pro. So although the girls are competing to get on the field once they are on the team are they trying to continually improve themselves technically or tactically or are they just going through the motions to not lose the scholarship? I am sure that there are a lot of girls that did what they needed to do to get into a Pac-12 team to get their parents off of their back and once on a team they are over it because they never loved soccer to begin with.
MacDre
PREMIER
I’m not okay with abuse. Neil may lack tact but I have not seen anything to suggest abuse.
I think all of the young ladies that gave their testimony wanted to go pro and was seeking Neil’s support and encouragement and had their feelings hurt when they were rejected due to not being good enough. If they only wanted to go to Cal, they could quit and tell Neil to fuck off. These ladies are struggling with crushed dreams.
I don’t look at D1 as a development experience. Folks should be developed when they arrived. D1 should be viewed as a finishing school for developed players seeking professional opportunities.
The fact that many are expecting development and hand holding is indicative of unrealistic expectations on behalf of those players.
So Kicker likes this? Whatever dude. Dre, soccer is not the Marines and no coach should fat shame woman or young girls. I heard coaches call out 8th graders for gaining a few Lbs. You guys suck and you can have this old soccer if it stands. It's all yours. You can have it. Tell you what Kicker, have at it brah. I'm out!!!!
One coach was getting mad at a young girl and he says, "are you on your period again." "Stop crying and dont tell your dad everything I say on the field." True hero's in coaching young ladies. BS coaches need to get lessons on how to talk ((not yell) at girls and females and how to help through a body the males no nothing about. Fat shaming is for losers. I'm appalled at some of you.
Is yelling disrespectful?
You are OFF if you yell or are disrespectful in any way. This is true regardless of what the other person has done or is doing. Their behavior does not give you the green light to be harsh or verbally abusive (such as yelling, swearing at, name calling or belittling someone). Just coaches with power & control. U Little Female Marines need some tough love from drill Sargant? BS!!!!
You are OFF if you yell or are disrespectful in any way. This is true regardless of what the other person has done or is doing. Their behavior does not give you the green light to be harsh or verbally abusive (such as yelling, swearing at, name calling or belittling someone). Just coaches with power & control. U Little Female Marines need some tough love from drill Sargant? BS!!!!
notintheface
GOLD
This, right here. They loved soccer, but they also didn't know how to tell their fucking helicopter parents that hey, it's just a game that I like to play with my friends.
This is why I will always always always tell parents to talk to their kids about keeping their grades up and pick the school based on what they want to do, not the "name" school that will put them on a team. Parents absolutely do not understand the burnout aspect and they push their kids in the 13-14-15 range in order to prep them for that 16-17-18 runup to get their kids "on a D1 team!!!!!1!!!!" and then wonder why their dd starts smoking pot like it's going out of style their freshman year.