Managing A Large Roster
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Santa Clara University Head Women’s Soccer Coach Jerry Smith (@SCUJerrySmith), a PCA National Advisory Board Member, has established a standard of excellence few can match, ranking as one of the five winningest women’s soccer coaches in NCAA Division I history.
Smith keeps a large roster -- up to 30 student-athletes, when only 11 at a time can play -- even though that makes it more difficult to manage. A certain amount of depth obviously is valuable, but Smith also realizes the importance of including players who can contribute to the program even off the field.
A challenge of carrying a bigger roster is allocating playing time. Smith respects student-athletes who ask the coaches how they can get more playing time, recognizing that that passion and desire to play is what got them onto the team in the first place.
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