MLS and US Stars Take Coaching Course Together

By Zac Lee Rigg

CARSON, Calif.—Thirty-one former and current US based players met at the Doubletree Hotel here Wednesday afternoon to participate in a coaching accreditation process that would last 9 days.

The event, hosted by U.S. Soccer, aims to give the players their B license in coaching, and involves meetings and on-field practices. Working with the Major League Soccer Players’ Association, the process is specifically geared to produce the next generation of coaches in America.

“This came at a great time,” said ESPN pundit and former US international Alexi Lalas, who is taking part. “Our union did a great job of organizing this with U.S. Soccer.

“It’s a hell of a team, if you put it together,” he joked about the names involved. “If we had an expansion right now, I think we could field a playoff qualifying team.”

Some of those attending include Cobi Jones, Joe-Max Moore, Claudio Reyna, Chris Armas, Matt Reis, Jovan Kirovski, Jesse Marsch, as well as Lalas and many others.

For many of the current players, the 9 days are an educational process rather than a current job pursuit.

“It’s an opportunity to see things on the other side of the table, to see what coaching has to offer,” said New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis. “Every time you have a chance to improve your education you should try and take it. I’m excited to learn.”

Lalas expanded on that idea, admitting that he was looking forward to learning ever more about the game.

“One thing I’ve learned in my 5 years since retirement is that players, we think we know it all, and we don’t know half of it,” he said. “This is a great opportunity for me and the other guys to get a new perspective and maybe see things in a different way. Education is never a bad thing.”

While some are a couple years away from retirement, let alone a coaching post, this accreditation is more immediate for players who have been away from the game a little longer.

When asked about any timeline he has for becoming a head coach, LA Galaxy Assistant Coach Cobi Jones was direct. “I think that for anybody that does this, it’s as soon as possible,” he said.

The overriding motivation for those taking part, aside from personal education, was to give back to the game that had given these players so much.

“I’ve given most of my life to soccer, and I don’t see turning my back on it after I’m done,” said Reis. “I’d like to stay involved and give back what I’ve learned.”

Jones added, “It’s always the best to have guys who have experienced what the younger guys are going through, letting them know what’s going to happen and teach them.”

It’s that wealth of knowledge that U.S. Soccer would like to tap into for the next generation of coaches. The development of players has rushed out ahead of the development of coaches in this country, and there is a lag between when players learn things and when they go into coaching and can pass that along to future stars.

Recent former players such as Jason Kreis, Curt Onalfo, and Preki already hold posts as head coaches of Major League Soccer teams, and have added their own philosophies to the domestic game. All three steered their teams to the playoffs, despite their managerial inexperience.

An increase in knowledgeable former players in the game is a boon. As the conveyor belt of players becoming coaches speeds up, new starlets coming through will receive better coaching. The U.S. has done well at making its former stars work their way through the ranks with classes like these and assistant coach positions, rather than thrusting them into high profile positions unprepared. In the current lull, more could be done to bring aboard foreign thinkers and influences. Juan Carlos Osorio, who recently guided Red Bull New York into the MLS Cup final, is a good example of this.

But in lieu of that, investing in programs such as this coaching class is the next best thing to secure the future of soccer in this country.

 “With the type of players we have now coming to retirement age, it bodes well for the future,” said Lalas. “For a lot of us we grew up not always having coaches we could relate to, or who could say ‘Hey, I do this because I’ve been there.’ Having that type of perspective is important for the development of professional players.”

Of course, not all 31 attending will become coaches. Some will fail the accreditation process. Others won’t cut it at a professional level. That weeding-out process is crucial to finding those who will take soccer to further levels in this country.

As Lalas put it, “Just because you were a good player, doesn’t mean you’ll be a good coach. But we have to be willing to give people a chance, and a chance to fail.”

Zac Lee Rigg is an associate editor of Goal.com