Coach applicant says he is qualified

I have coached soccer for over 25 year, from ages 4 to 19, both boys and girls. I have multiple licenses, and I’ve trained thousands of kids in academies, clinics, and camps. I founded two soccer clubs: White Pass Soccer Club in 1995, and Clarkston Heat FC in 2004. I was named Reebok Coach of the Year in 2000, District 7, for the state of Washington (Washington State Youth Soccer Association). My soccer coaching and training experience for this area is unheard of.

I applied for the head coaching position for the Lake Roosevelt girls’ high school soccer team. This will be the first year for soccer here, so the players are very inexperienced, as well as the community. Whoever gets this job has a huge task in front of them. I am confident I could do the job, and do it better than anybody in the area. The job pays $2,500 for the season.

So I go to my interview; I know I killed it, ’cause you just know. I awww’ed them at all turns, had them in my hands like putty … so I thought. But you have to remember, not one of these six interviewers knows a thing about soccer. I told them if I got the job, I’d like to only get paid $1 so we could hire a paid assistant coach. There is no way on this earth that one soccer coach can successfully give 22 players the attention they need. As of now, there is no position listed for an assistant coach, paid or not paid.

After the interview, I drove home, still confident, and feeling like I did very well. No more than 15 minutes after I got home from the interview, the athletic director calls and tells me, “We have named C***&^ as Head Coach.” Now, I don’t know her, but from the people I talked to around the community, they all say she was born and raised here. (I wish her luck, by the way. She has a daunting task ahead.) Then the athletic director asked me if I would mentor this girl, and be her assistant coach, which, as stated earlier, is an unpaid position.

At that time, I was curious to know how I was out-qualified. I told him, I could be a mentor as long as I was aware of her qualifications. I asked for her qualifications, but got no answer. I told him if she was experienced enough, that I’d be willing to help, at my leisure, but you must name me “senior advisor” or something other than “assistant,” and give me your word that she will listen to me, and learn. You see, I didn’t want to be second guessed by somebody with less experience and knowledge: nobody would. He said, “Let me get it OK’ed with the board, it shouldn’t be a problem, and I’ll call you in 24 hours.”

Well, that was last Wednesday … still haven’t heard a word. The sad thing is, it’s the kids who are not getting the experience and knowledge passed on to them.

Randy Semanko

Grand Coulee