SimpleCoach D3 Soccer YouTube Channel

[SimpleCoach]

As promised,  I spoke with Coach Dunshee yesterday and its up.  Enjoy!

Coach Roy Dunshee of Washington College

[Hopkins92]

Even with very little connection to Tufts or NESCAC, what I'm finding about these interviews is that it's fascinating to hear about the journey's these folks take.


This is not unique to NESCAC, the journey of Hopkins current head coach is amazing!

Absolutely! That's definitely where I was pulling from in terms of a through-story for these folks.

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I listen to a LOT of podcasts. As in, I was way into podcasts before they were really even called that.

One thing that I've found, is that there is an evolution of almost every single one from the very first episode, into the 10th or so and then they really find a groove and a rhythm about 15 or 20 episodes into the run. (I'm talking about the interview a guest format, or the "folks sitting around the table shooting the 'you-know-what'" format, not the highly scripted/edited/written format of your Serials and S-towns and stuff from Gimlet, Reply-All, etc.)

As Coach-to-Coach (hopefully) keeps trucking, you can see that certain trends are starting to develop and coalesce and it's really cool. You have nailed the timing, obviously, and it's very cool that these coaches are able to give you this longform platform to really go in-depth on various topics.

[Hopkins92]

All of these have been good... This one is just OUTSTANDING.

I can't recommend to folks on the board enough, if you haven't tuned into one of these yet... Get in on this one.

[Hopkins92]

And, Holy Cow, I won't post any spoilers, but if folks thought there was an interesting interchange with style of play with Coach Appleby at Hopkins...

An upcoming interview is going to be REALLY interesting. :-)

[SimpleCoach]

And, Holy Cow, I won't post any spoilers, but if folks thought there was an interesting interchange with style of play with Coach Appleby at Hopkins...

An upcoming interview is going to be REALLY interesting. :-)

I am nervous about the next one ..

Seriously, I am enjoying it immensely.  Haven't talked this much soccer in ages.  I just can't believe they agree to talk to me.  I mean, really....

[Ejay]

See if you can get the U Hartford coach. Would be fascinating to hear what he has to say about the upcoming move from D1 to D3.

[jknezek]

See if you can get the U Hartford coach. Would be fascinating to hear what he has to say about the upcoming move from D1 to D3.

Probably not what he'd say, but probably what he's thinking... "I need to find a new job so they don't change me to D3 pay."

[Caz Bombers]

See if you can get the U Hartford coach. Would be fascinating to hear what he has to say about the upcoming move from D1 to D3.

Probably not what he'd say, but probably what he's thinking... "I need to find a new job so they don't change me to D3 pay."

Tom Poitras already left UHart to take another head Division I position - Northern Kentucky.

[jknezek]

See if you can get the U Hartford coach. Would be fascinating to hear what he has to say about the upcoming move from D1 to D3.

Probably not what he'd say, but probably what he's thinking... "I need to find a new job so they don't change me to D3 pay."

Tom Poitras already left UHart to take another head Division I position - Northern Kentucky.

Well, then I guess the new coach wouldn't be thinking that! +K for the info. Thanks

[VAFury]

Ok, another one.  This time covering recruiting.

So you want to play Division III soccer?

Hey SC, just watched this as we're just finished with the process (As noted in Women's Soccer board.  PM forthcoming).  A few things we noticed on my daughter's journey worth noting. 

1) How much does playing time matter?  Worth noting the roster sizes of many of these institutions.  Some schools carry 40 man (woman) rosters, and some carry 22-25...  Obviously on a 40 man roster, many freshman may not even dress for games.  So how dedicated are you in that scenario, and is it worth going to a better soccer program, just to say you made it?  And yes, of course academics is the top priority, but typically once you've narrowed it down to 5-10 schools, they all pretty much have what you're looking for academically (I'd hope). It'd be a kick in the shin to work hard and practice all week and spend that kind of time to never see the field, or not see it for two years, perhaps.  Something to consider.

2) TALK TO CURRENT PLAYERS IF POSSIBLE.  Team chemistry was a VERY important part of my daughter's decision and she picked up on some interesting items about how programs run and which coaches value soccer first and which value the student athlete first.  She did five overnights (which wore us out as parents and was probably overkill), and those were the decision makers ultimately.

[College Soccer Observer]

Here is another view on the issue of playing time. 
One of the goalkeepers for my son's team took a semester off in 2020 in order to return and participate in the 2021 fall season.  This young man spent his junior season as the backup goalkeeper to a freshman starter.  He played in a few games, then came in as an injury replacement in conference quarterfinal game.  He made a clutch save to get the game to penalties and then stopped two penalties in the shootout.  The next weekend, he was back on the bench,but there was no question in anyone's mind that he played a huge role in helping his team earn an NCAA bid.  This season, he came back as a super senior, got 15 minutes of playing time in the first game of the year, and never saw the field again.  I had a long talk with his dad, who is a high school coach.  Their take was that the games are a small percentage of the overall experience, and the pleasure derived from competing in training and being around his teammates Monday thru Friday was important enough to them to keep going.  The young man is going to medical school next year and wanted one last go round with his team.  Ultimately, playing time is not something that the player can completely control.  Being in a place with great teammates with a positive culture is a huge part of the equation.

[VAFury]

That's cool. And keeper is always the position I would look at and think, "You are the third string keeper as a sophomore. Do you really think you'll ever play? If not, what keeps you going?"... I love hearing the positive aspects of the "team vibe".  Funny when I think about it that on most teams there are typically more players that don't play than ones that do!

[Kuiper]

The normal advice about seeking playing time really can't apply for GKs or else no one would agree to be on a roster as a backup GK and very few would stick around long enough to actually get playing time.  GK recruits have to expect to sit at least 1-3 years and know that it's quite possible they will sit all 4 except for spot starts and a few minutes here or there.  This is true at all levels of college soccer and a D1 backup wouldn't necessarily be a D3 starter. 

For field players and their parents, they can't comprehend why GKs would endure this.  What they don't understand is that on a 40 person roster, field players deep on the depth chart may be basically anonymous to the coaches and ignored by the starters.  For a GK, by contrast, they work with a dedicated coach and in a very small group of between 3-5 players where they are more likely to bond with each other.  As a result, they get a lot of personal attention and sometimes a pretty close knit group.  They also get a LOT of practice reps.  In fact, in-season, the backup GKs may get more reps in shooting drills and scrimmage games because the starter has to rest in-between games or the coach doesn't want to risk injury. Moreover, because a GKs saves are very apparent in those settings, they get a decent amount of positive reinforcement from the coach, the GK coach, and the other players.  In many cases, the backups aren't starting because of problems with decision-making or confidence, but they were recruited because of shot-stopping and the coach is hoping the rest will come with maturity. As a result, the backup GKs may actually look pretty good in practice.  All of that can make it a bit more palatable for some GKs to hang around longer than field players who drop out because of lack of playing time.

[VAFury]

Great perspective.  And you're right, as the parent of a field player, I had never really considered the difference in how Keepers are handled.  Definitely a lot of comraderie involved there, I'd imagine!

[Hopkins92]

I came in as a freshman and supplanted a junior. He was the nicest guy on the planet and he went through most of that year and his senior year on the bench. I believe he was even made one of the captains his senior year, which speaks to his demeanor and character.

Looking back, we had a lacrosse coach running things and I guess his philosophy was "don't ever change out a goalie unless he loses a limb" because I never came out. Ever. Even when the games were out of hand or we were playing a much less competent team. Pretty lousy for him.

And, I have to say, I would've sat for my freshman year, but there's no way I'd have signed up for a gig sitting on the bench for multiple years. Bonding and camaraderie aside... That's nice and all... But I sure wasn't wired to sit around for multiple seasons. I looked at the roster and didn't see a situation where I couldn't compete to start. If there'd been a freshmen or a sophomore on that roster, I would've had serious reservations.