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How NOT to coach youth sports: A lesson from Minnesota

posted by Pretty Tough | Girls Who Are Fun Fierce & Feminine
Monday, May 25, 2009 at 8:13pm CDT

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Fellow WTS blogger, Nicole LaVoie, at One Sport Voice, writes about a recent youth soccer match in Minnesota:

The scene: Two Minnesota Thunder Academy (MTA) teams played each other in the State Cup final to see who would advance to the Regionals. The 12-and-under girls soccer club, playing above their level, fought to a gutsy 1-1 tie through two overtime periods against the favored 13-and-under team from the same club. That set the stage for a dramatic penalty shootout.

As this moment of truth played out on soccer field, Coach Mark Abboud instructed his girls to “roll the ball” nicely to the goalkeeper, virtually ensuring the “better team” move on. The girls were shocked, but followed orders.

Chaos, tears, frustration, confusion, emergency meetings at all levels, commentary, opinions, anger, a public apology from Abboud, and parental support for the coach ensued. To read all the details go to, the Inside Minnesota Soccer article, the Star Tribune article, and Coach Mark Abboud’s own contrition on his blog.

LaVoie points out that sport provides many “teachable moments”. Good coaches teach athletes to give full effort, focus on what they can control, treat opponents with respect, and accept the outcome with grace. One decision by a coach does have an impact on everyone involved, and this is a cautionary tale of how not to coach because, simply put, it taught the wrong lessons.

In his team blog, Abboud wrote that he will never forget watching a star player take a weak kick at the goal and walk off in shame. “The silence was deafening. I felt the sun on my face, brushed a tick off my lower leg, and listened to the highway traffic on I-94,” he said. “I felt sick to my stomach.

Those familiar with the way soccer clubs are organized and the intense politics that play out at the administrative level probably aren’t that surprised at this story. At issue is what’s best for the players and what’s best for the club. Unfortunately the answer isn’t always the same for both.