These are comments from Clemson Women's Soccer Coach, Hershey Strosberg, Fired that speak louder about our Athletic Department and the raw deal these players received than the piece itself. Although I can't speak for their complete accuracy, I can say that both are consistent with rumblings that I heard last year.
"I am a parent one of those players who left the team after the 2009 season (I believe that 12 -15 left the team in 2009). You really have no idea what the players went thru under this coach (and I am not referring to wins and losses). The AD not only heard complaints from nearly the entire team, but also from alumni and parents. The AD chose to ignore the situation. I hope that the university fully investigates this matter to determine why this situation wasn't addresses a year earlier. I hope that the AD voices his public and personal apology to all players, alumni and partents for not dealing with this sooner and for the emotional harm that this coach inflicted on so many fantastic young ladies."
"The official press release is now on the Tigers website. Apparently the coach was fired because his "energy and passion" did not "translate into competitive success." The AD misses the point. While success on the field is important, the emotional and physical well being of the student athletes should be the university's top priority. What does it say about a coach who ignored the wisdom of the 2008 senior captains. What does it say about the coach when he let his 2009 senior capitans yell and scream at teammates during halftime of games? What does it say about a coach who did not start the 2 remaining seniors for their last game at Clemson. (I could go on and on.) And what does all of this say about an AD who ignored all (but one) of the 2009 players and certain alumni when they pleaded that the AD find a new coach? I didn't see an apology from the AD in the press release. Perhaps a young, investigative journalist should take look into this and publish a story for all to read. Then we would all have an idea of what happened."
The Avenue Of Champions encourages players, parents and former alumni to share their thoughts both positive and negative either in the comment section or by sending an email to aoc.clemson@gmail.com
I understand what the parents are saying, but any AD or supervisor in a company will tell you that you just cannot on a whim get rid of someone. There is a process in place, especially at a public institution. Secondly, I wouldn't want the parents or players feeling as if they run the show either. Anyone who has coached a youth sports team knows how parents can be so if TDP capitulated to them they would run roughshod all over him. That's the type of thing that people don't understand which also factors into the timing of a decision like this.
ReplyDeleteThe AD should listen to the athletes. They are with the coach day in and day out. Student-athletes actions reflect upon not only the athletic department, but the entire student body. If there are concerns, they should be addressed immediately. Clemson Women’s Soccer used to be a force in the ACC, next to UNC-Chapel Hill, who produced legions such as Mia Hamm. It is sad that they lost so many talented players after years of success.
ReplyDeleteMy understanding is that for the past 7 years senior swim team members met with the AD prior to graduation to discuss changes that could be made to improve the program. The team also had a task committee dedicated to researching aquatic facilities for the University. The ideas expressed by coaches, athletes, and parents were ignored. Now, the AD claims eliminating the Swimming Program is because of poor performance. The story of Women’s soccer proves that a team cannot thrive without athletes and the proper support from their AD. Maybe if the AD listened to the members of the women’s soccer team, the bleeding could have been stooped? Maybe if the AD listened to the swimmers, the team could have seen some improvements. I sometimes wonder if the AD has sat in Death Valley one too many times, and thus suffers from hearing loss.
If an athlete cannot trust their coach or buy into their philosophy, there will not be any success. And you are correct, the emotional and physical well being of the athlete must be a priority for any further success to take place. It is sad to hear that issues from the women's soccer team were ignored over time. It is also sad to know that issues from men's and women's swimming and diving have been ingored for years, thus resulting in cutting the team for "poor performance". Aren't exit interviews supposed to be beneficial? Shouldn't the AD be listening to the concerns of athletes? Why shouldn't the athletes have a large say in what goes on with their team? Many of the NCAA rules and regulations are made and changed by NCAA athletes themselves, so yes the athletes should be listened to and their concerns and opinions are important. Why even hold and exit interview if you don't plan to do anything about it anyway?
ReplyDeleteI agree, he must suffer from hearing loss. Time to make some changes starting from the top of our athletic department.
What is it that Coach Bill D'Andrea is all ways saying? "Championships Begin With Scholarships"????
ReplyDeleteBut what is after scholarships? coaches? facilities? academic support? medical / conditioning support? Athletic Management?
There is a very sad trend here. It began with TDP's rowing coach embarrassing the school at championships with a public tirade, then Men's basketball coach leaving after TDP would not speak with him, next was the ill informed decision to phase out swimming and keep women's diving, followed by the dismissal of the women's soccer coach.
In most of these cases, student-athletes went to TDP and his staff to make known there were issue that needed to be investigated and handled. The associate athletic direct level and up needs to be removed. It is time for the BOT and President Barker to roll up their sleeves and bring CHANGE.
did the players who left in 2009 leave on their own or were they ask to leave because they were not cutting it? what was it exactly? It has been my experience that when a new coach comes in and changes are made there are always players that are unhappy and parents as well. It can take a couple of years to see any kind of change. What was it that the players were complaining about?
ReplyDeleteMy daughter attended Strosberg's first camp after being hired at Clemson. Mr. Strosberg hardly made an appearance during the camp; instead he was working with his "potential recruits" on Riggs when they stayed sequestered for most of the camp. My daughter is a goal keeper and it was our understanding that he would work with the keepers. Not once did he have interaction with my daughter. I lost all respect for him at that camp as did my daughter and she flatly refused to return to his camp the following summer. Instead choosing to attend camp at the College of Charleston, despite the fact that the Clemson camp is practically in our backyard and would have been her sixth year playing soccer at the Clemson camp. Thank goodness for a former Clemson player who worked the camp that summer who salvaged the week for my daughter! I could go on and on, but I'll stop here.
ReplyDeleteThat is not uncommon for a head coach to work with his top recruits at a college camp ... as frustrating as it may be it is just the way it is...
ReplyDeleteAlso, I do not have first hand experience of how Hershey was as a head coach but I do know he had the taunting responsibility of rebuilding Clemson Women’s Soccer, which had been on the decline before Hershey was hired. For a program to even compete in the ACC conference in women’s soccer you need to attract the very best athletes from all over the country. These athletes must be competing at the very top level of soccer. There is no way he was going to make everyone happy. I do think Hershey was making progress with the type of players he was recruiting. He was aggressive early at recruiting which you need to be when you are in the rebuild mode. He was passionate about Clemson as a University and what it had to offer his potential recruits. He was positive about the future and the changes that were being made. Now I think they need a coach with a winning history within a top conference. It will be a slow process but I do think in time thing can improve.
"Rebuilding Clemson women's soccer"? "Making progress"? I hope you're a relative of his, as your apologies for his performance and behavior toward players is nothing short of insulting.
ReplyDeleteNo relation at all, and I am not sure how you got an apology out of my post at 11:44 AM. I don't know much about Hershey at all and i have no first hand knowledge of how he treated his players... all i have experience in, is the process of rebuilding a team and with that ALWAYS comes some unhappy parents and players... the transition is never easy. The key is to win and than everyone is happy but the minute a teams starts to lose than the process can unravel fast. Clemson now needs a strong coach who can lead the team.
ReplyDeleteHershey Strosberg has some very real and significant emotional problems. He should be banned from coaching sports or interacting with young people forever. Clemson and Mr. Strosberg are fortunate that families have not been more public with their complaints about this "Head" Coach. Strosburg continually emotionally abused and manipulated his players. Although he recruited well, he then beat the kids down until most were terrified to play. He is a pathetic and small man indeed, whose ego knows no bounds.
ReplyDeletewhat kind of things would he say to his players?
ReplyDeleteany word on who the new coach will be??
ReplyDeleteRadwanski seems to be a name tossed around as well as the assistant at UVA
ReplyDelete"...but I do know he had the taunting responsibility of rebuilding Clemson Women’s Soccer"--Do you mean "daunting" responsibility?
ReplyDeleteUnless it was a Freudian slip.
Well Strosburg is slated to coach a U14 girls team in for the Richmond Strikers this Fall. They are slating him as a top notch coach. I am not sure that I want my daughter on his team. Can someone please be more specific about his "issues"? I don't mind a tough coach, but at this young age the players need lots of patience and instruction.
ReplyDeletePlease advise...I am a very concerned parent.
you are only hearing the negative on here which is typical... i have only experienced good things regarding Strosburg...
ReplyDeleteI think that most of the negative comments were probably posted by people who have nothing better to do then to bash other people on the internet... Hershey Strosberg was my coach and he did an amazing job and cared about all his players...Some of these parents just might need to admit to themselves that their children are not the amazing athletes that they think they are!
ReplyDeleteSorry folks but letting the players dictate the hirings and firings would be the biggest joke of all. I too would expect my Captains to lay out the standards by which the team must live, they are the first level of discipline. Maybe the problem with the program was the players neither good enough or disciplined enough to compete in the ACC. Spoiled by helicopter parents who always protected them and made all their decisions for them? ANd god forbid someone push their little girl outside her comfort zone so that she realizes she can give so much more than she is.
ReplyDelete