SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Club Soccer & ODP Former Man United coach's take on American soccer

Nice read with good points! I loved this statement:

Where are ”tomorrow’s US soccer coaches” being developed today?

“Well, clubs and organizations could start by stopping the ‘fast track’ system where ex-players get priority on courses and even allowed to ‘waiver’ certain levels of licences because they played the game at a certain level. Also, jobs are so frequently handed out simply because somebody has played as a professional or college etc. Playing is totally different to coaching/teaching and I am amazed at how this is allowed to happen at all levels. I don’t take a coach’s playing credentials into consideration when selecting a coach for HPFC. They have to ba able to teach the game. I wouldn’t hire Diego Maradona for example for obvious reasons, yet he was the best player in the world at one point. I think it’s certainly necessary for a coach to have played at some level but certainly not a professional level. Teachers and professors in the education system are not fast tracked through university to get into school positions or college positions quickly as that would lower the standard of teaching and ultimately the standard of education our kids would experience – I don’t understand why we do it in soccer.

HPFC’s Alex Weaver takes on America’s youth soccer system

Could not agree more. A specific example: Last year, CESA (Pierce) brought in a new coach for the 93 boys when then coach Nick Finotti had to leave for personal reasons. The coach was hired and brought in from CASL where he was coaching. He was touted for his playing ability, etc. He was a tremendous striker in college and was inducted into the Hall of Fame. He was/is a Terrible coach in all aspects of the title. And after that season, he left. The 93 boys deserved better by CESA, and fortunately, Nick Finotti was able to return for their final season. Great players do not necessarily make great coaches, and great coaches were not necessarily great players. Heck, Shawn Jacques who coached at CESA Columbia is great at teaching the game, played football (American) and never played the beautiful game when a young man. Clubs and DOC's need to stop giving top assignments to coaches just because they played in college or went to a course and passed a test.

To answer the question ...
Tomorrow's club coaches are (in essence) being "groomed" by the succession of club, academy, high school and college coaches they play for from the ages of 6-22. Not saying that's good or bad ... just reality.
Very few coaches AT ANY LEVEL AND IN ANY SPORT possess a "total package" of people skills, teaching capacity, demonstrator capacity and playing experience.
The best coaches are like the best players: They work tirelessly, AND have the ability to evaluate themselves (and others) realistically, identify their strengths and weaknesses, work and play well with others, accept well-intended criticism, and lead by example.
You don't learn these things from a book, or a coaching course -- although those methods MAY have value in certain technical and strategic areas. You learn them from the array of parents, teachers and coaches who have set the bar high through their own commitment and performance in WHATEVER IT IS THEY DO.
As to the CESA situation ...
Inheriting a presumed stacked hand from a successful and well-liked coach is, in many ways, more problematic than building from the ground up. By age 16-17, top-level kids SHOULD possess the understanding and discipline required to police their own effort and performance.
Why?
Because, if they intend to continue in the sport, they will likely play/train for a succession of coaches, NONE of whom will be uniformly capable or popular.

I am under the impression that Jacques played keeper in HS. Maybe I am wrong

FWIW, some years ago, I was attending a course to get my D-Level coaching license and met a Shawn Jacques who told me he had played goalkeeper at Irmo High School. He didn't say for how long, only that he had played. At the time (of the course) he was coaching at Lexington (LCSC?)