Just thinking to myself of some of the coaches that I have encountered - both in just discussion as well as coaches who have trained my daughter in the past 3 years. In reading here there are always members who praise some of these coaches and others who share differing opinons. That being said I thought it may be interesting to list your top 5-10 coaches in the state - the club they play for and who they coach. Now I am not as seasoned as many of you so my list is rather small and only from the confindes of my own personal experience. In no particular order.... - Nathan Pitcock (Chicago Magic South) - Ian Dunbar (Sockers FC - formerly Chicago Magic North)* - Nilton Batata (Sockers FC)* - Todd Bailey (Sockers FC - formerly Chicago Magic South)* - Tony Youhanna (Chicago Magic HP)* - Angel Garcia (Chicago Magic North)* *Represents coaches my daughter has played for. Once again my experience with other Select clubs is limited so don't get all excited.
One of the guys you mention above, imho, is not a good guy nor a good coach. The rest you mention are meh to great. Need to mention JP at FC Tokoto as well as Brett Hall at Sockers. Oleg the man at sockers is great as well. Kevin Wickart and Eic Duda at Spartan FC are super at teaching u12 and under. Fernando Silvado at Arlington Aces is incredible with u10 and under. Tsetso at FC United is one of the best, if not the best, that is when he's not busy with his pizza joint and actually has time for coaching.
Have to nominate John Hannan. Obviously his record with the Magic speaks for itself but what he has done with the DG Roadrunners is amazing. He has taken an average club and is slowly transforming it into a power. Specifically the teams he coaches are producing tremendous teams that play a very attractive style. His U12 boys won the US Club State Cup in June and finished top of Classic 1. His current U11 boys looked like the best team at the seeding tournament today and will play in the top division this year. The U12 girls he has were a middle of the road B division team and now they are a top A division team. Add to that the accomplishments he had with the group that just finished U18, his resume at DG is pretty impressive for a community club. Also the original list did not give much love for the south suburb teams aside from the Magic. Here are a few other south coaches that are developing great teams at the U8-U12 ages. Magno at Team Chicago, Srgjan Smileski from Lemont Raiders, Marcus Jenkins at the Galaxy, Neil Bianco at Legends and Pete Meletis, formerly of Orland Park, Chicago Fire Juniors South
I will add my list of good coaches. Ahmed at Sockers Mike Z at Libertiville Mike Nesci at Eclipse Lou Reina at Eclipse East John Soltani at Spartans FC Mladen Maric at Glenview SC Isaac Moushi at Evanston Sole Antonijevic at Fire Jrs North Ady Gray at Fire Jrs. Matt Kirkpartick at Fire Jrs. I wonder which one you mean? I know him but I don't think he is that good. He is not bad either, more like so-so. Spartans FC have some very good quality coaches in recent years. I've seen their practices run by various coaches and I like what I see. But are you sure these two are still at the club? I don't see their names on the club's website anymore. Have they moved to another club or something? I know him too. He was my oldest son's first coach back when my boy was 4-5 years old and just starting with soccer. He was working for the Wind and at the 41 Sports Center years ago. Very good coach and a funny guy. Sadly, he quit coaching couple of years ago I think. Don't know why... I think his son was a coach also, but I don't know where and if he is still coaching. I have to check. Do you know anything about either of them?
Kevin's not with Spartan any longer, strong technical trainer. Tsetso's son coaches in Lake Forest Bato has produced some great teams for Wind/Magic Busta Move was strong coach
Coaches that have influenced my children, in no specific order Rich Drobny Tom Zec Scott Fonfara Lou Reina Branko Simileski
I was wondering what one would use as criteria of a good coach and also whether you are looking at the list as good trainers vs a coach. I am going to stir the pot as the list seems to reflect those who play politics and also who are regarded as great coaches because of wins. In order for the game to grow in Chicago we need to understand the differences in what will make the game better. The coaching list I have seen provides several that probably should not be around player development, more likely suited to adult leagues.
Do you know where did he go to? What about Duda? I didn't know where he went after the Wind. How is he as a coach? I thought he was good with the little ones at the 41 and Wind. He works/develops only the Hispanic kids. Who is "Busta Move"? My personal criteria for a good coach is one who is good at developing (technically and tactically) and educating players at different levels and ages. Another criteria is the ability of the coach to teach the players to play an attractive and skillful style of play.
Told that Duda went to campton as boys doc. wonder how he and brian will get along... Bato shoulda been a track coach instead... Ivo is a nice kid, adores his dad Tsetso, but not quite as good obviously... he does/did little kickers academy off of 41... Forgot to mention Nelo Nightingale,great guy and a super coach...
Yonko, one guy u mention above is ur classic win at all cost guy. he took u8 boys to a small insignificant tournament and sat out this one boy so he could win the tournament. But there is no championship game at this age, everyone plays 3 games and they all go home happy. but he wantedto win all 3 games. i bet that 6yr old ain't playing anymore because he's "no good." this guy also took a great u9 girls team and turn them into kick and run u11s. it's really sad and pathetic that parents think this guy's a god of soccer and not realizing that had they gone to someone like Nelo or Kevin or Fernando their girls will be playing soccer instead of kick and sprint. this is one small reason why japan beat us.
The US pounded Japan. Japan won cuz they made penalty kicks. US dominated the game and actually lost because they were not good at box defending which is usually a strength of the types of youth teams that are "win at all cost". As far as the best coaches. If you want your son/daughter to win I'd say Marc McElligott and Rory Dames. If you want to talk about a coach who focuses more on total player development I'd go with David Richardson, Mike Nesci, and Ahmed Gad.
I agree with you that Ahmed will make your child a better player. The others I would disagree in a big way!
The laundry list of players who have played for those coaches and gone on to successful college/pro careers speaks for its self.
Those coaches collect players. Those players would have been successful in that environment with or without the coaches you mention. Are you celebrating the system that is able to put tons of players in a pool or the great coaching?
Yeah, I wonder how that will go too. Wish him best of luck.... LOL, I know what you mean.... Is he good enough of a coach to be at a better/bigger club than Lake Forest? Oh yeah, Nelo....where is he now? Is he still with FC Drive? Is it true that he started he own club? Who is the coach you talk about here?
Yeh he must be a great developer of young players. You just have to look at all those championships he has won! For a coach with a D license he must have an incredible amount of experience to provide young players. Did he win most of those championships with players he brought through from U10 or did they come to a bigger pool?
The championships and his license level have nothing to do with his ability to develop players. How many IL coaches have won championships with players they have been developing from the younger ages? How many of the top coaches take a U10 team and coach all those kids all the way until they go to college? Being a good coach is not just about winning championships or developing players from U-littles. It is also quite difficult to take an 12 or 13 year old player, who has been developed (or under-developed) by someone else (good or bad coach) at a different club (big or small level) and make that player better within 1 year. Being a good coach is taking a player at any age and ability level and making a positive difference in his/her development that will help them in the present as well as in the future. Mike Nesci is one of the coaches who has done that with plenty of players, regardless if he has won championships or not and regardless of what his coaching license is. Many other coaches with higher level licenses have developed players a lot less than he has.
So it seems you agree that the Illinois Development system is seriously lacking? Many good systems will in fact alternate coaches. But they have coaches with alternate teaching and experiences to provide. The licenses provide alternate experiences, a learning experience.Think what a coach could do with improved knowledge. Perhaps this is another point ,the license is only as good as the student is willing to think about the knowledge given. I agree a license level is not the only answer but it the start of constantly educating yourself about the game and then expanding your horizons and the players you are trying to develop. I believe many of the coaches listed have more to give. In the real world outside of soccer people are having to constantly learn to remain competitive. I suggest our coaches are not and therefore have limited themselves and their players.
Coaching licenses aren't the only way coaches can expand their knowledge. Most of that knowledge comes from other sources. As for how it is applied that is a whole different topic. Very few coaches apply what they learn (if they learn anything, that is) from these coaching courses. They attend them and acquire licenses mostly because it is a piece of paper that validates their position to work as coaches. Plus, it is a bait to make naive parents think that a higher license coach is better. In most cases, parents fall victim to that. The truth is that the two highest level licenses offered by USSF have very little to do with coaching young players under the age of 13-14 and have very little to do with qualities a DOC needs to have. Don't get me wrong. There is plenty of valuable knowledge for coaches provided in these coaching courses. But they are merely a starting base, at best. There is far more knowledge available outside of these courses that is easily accessible to everyone. If we talk specifically about someone like Mike Nesci who only has a D license, IMO his knowledge and understanding of how to apply it to develop players is far greater than the level of his coaching license. As the saying goes, don't just a book by its cover.