“I’m a coach because… to teach a child and see them learn is amazing.  Coaching has also opened my eyes to the idea of becoming a teacher in the classroom as well as on the field.  I often wondered why my college coach gave up his career as a lawyer to coach; but then I made the transition to the other side of the touchline and realized what coaching has to offer.  Flash forward to 2012; I’ve spent 11 years coaching at various levels within clubs and within the Olympic Development Program for both Utah and Ohio-North.  I just completed my first season as high school girls’ varsity head coach and love every minute of it.  Coaching to me isn’t a job or a hobby; it’s a way of life.  It’s also the balance to my day job as a biochemist / plant geneticist at a large research driven university.  I am so blessed to have such a rewarded and fulfilled life all through soccer.  Playing soccer paid for my college education and I continue to give back to the game that has given my so much.”

------ Jammi McClead, Varsity Girls Soccer, Masnfield Christian School

Coach McClead told us she hardly talks; but when it comes to the game she loves, she seems to have a ton of words to write. With a background as a college player, McClead chose coaching as a method to stay connected with soccer. Then she found herself in a new world with an excitement for the game that she never had as a player.

After a successful collegiate soccer career at Lincoln Memorial University, Tennessee, Jammi McClead started coaching local rec and club teams in the early 2000’s. In 2001, she decided to leave behind her dreams of making the transition from the W-league to WUSA to pursue a graduate degree in biochemistry at Utah State University. “But I realized that soccer was my life passion.  Although I may have decided to quit playing, I couldn’t give up the game entirely.” Said Coach McClead, “Little did I realize that I was moving into a community that loves the game, but lacks experienced players and coaches.”

In 2003 McClead joined Utah’s Olympic Development Program (ODP) staff. In 2004, she was awarded an April Heinrichs/Nike Coaching Education Scholarship and earned her USSF C license. “I hadn’t been in Utah more than a week when I was asked to take over coaching a U-10 girls’ district competitive team.  The parents were excited to have someone who knew the game, but I was hesitant.  I had never taken on a team as the head coach.”

Returning to Ohio in 2006, she joined Ohio-North’s ODP staff and is currently with the ’97 girls state team.  She also holds the NSCAA State & Regional Goalkeeper Diplomas  and the USSF National Youth License.  2011 was her 1st season at Mansfield Christian School (Mansfield, OH) where the team went 13-3 (10-0 in conference play), were conference and sectional champs and were the first girls’ team in school history to be state ranked (Div. III, rank 9th) as well as receive all-state player honors.  McClead was also named the Private/Parochial NCOSSA District Coach of the Year. 

NSCAA: What inspired you to become a soccer coach?

Jammi McClead: Two great coaches I had growing up inspired me.  I played every sport available to me from BMX racing to soccer and even played five sports while in high school.  More people than I can even remember have coached me.  Their dedication to their players and to the sports they coached as well as their ability to have such a positive impact on so many young people (myself included) truly inspired me.  Through sports, they taught me so much about life and about myself.  Years later I still pass along their advice to my players.  I hope one day to have former players feel the same way about me as I do about my coaches, that they not only helped make me a successful player but also helped make me the person I am today.  So, thank you Mike Leeper (my high school basketball and softball coach) and Mike Varga (my college soccer coach at LMU, currently at University of South Alabama).

NSCAA: What are your thoughts on coaching education and its role in developing coaches?

Jammi McClead: I think it is essential.  Gaining insight into child development (both physically and emotionally) as well as learning different methods to instruct players is crucial.  I feel it is unfair to the players to have a coach that isn’t constantly trying to better himself as a coach.  The players are expected to work hard both at practice and on their own to better themselves I don’t think it is too much to ask the same from their coach.  I’m for any and all forms of coaching education, take courses, read books or articles, watch soccer games, commiserate with fellow coaches, etc.    

NSCAA: What was the biggest challenge you’ve faced while coaching?

Jammi McClead: Convincing parents that change is good.  Oh no I said it, the P word…parents.  On more than one occasion, I’ve found myself in that situation where I was the new coach and all my ideas seemed foreign to players and their parents.  It’s funny how players typically adapt very quickly to new coaches and ideas (positions, formations, training styles, etc.), but parents are usually a little more resistant to change.  Once I realized their resistance isn’t personal towards me, but stems from a protective instinct with their children (after all I’m asking them to trust me with their most precious belonging), I’ve found better ways of helping them through the transition as well.

NSCAA: What sort of qualities do you think should a coach have? How do these qualities influence players and team?

Jammi McClead: Patience, a good sense of humor, will power, and the ability/willingness to express appreciation to your players. As a coach we need to give our players a chance to solve problems on their own and to make mistakes and learn from them without fear.  That takes patience on our part as coaches and will power.  Those moments when I want to coach, to jump in and fix it for them, but I need to sit back and allow the players to figure it out on their own are tough.  But when my players solve it and gain that ownership of the game they truly learn something.  Working with youth players means you can’t take yourself too seriously too, it’s a game after all and it needs to be fun for everyone involved.  I think you have to be able to laugh at yourself and risk making a fool of yourself from time to time to get the kids laughing with you too.  My teams don’t goof around and socialize all practice, but we definitely have a lot of fun while we’re working hard.  When I’m thinking about my training sessions I always want them to be challenging, productive and fun for my players.  And finally I feel it is very important that my players know I appreciate the effort they are giving during training and during games.  I hope by doing all this I’m creating players that are creative and confident to solve problems both on and off the pitch. 

To share your passion with coaching peers and the NSCAA, visit NSCAA.com/icoach. You could be the next featured story on www.NSCAA.com and win one of many prizes!

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