By: Adelaide Clarkson

As the school bell rings, Upper School teachers Tyler Boyd (Latin) and Dave Privasky (science) transition from their roles as teachers to also serve as coaches for the girls’ Cub soccer team. When Boyd was younger, he went to Monacan High School in Chesterfield County, and he remembers playing soccer there and enjoying it. This sparked a passion and excitement for watching soccer games. Over his time at Collegiate he has coached volleyball as well as soccer. Additionally, Privasky grew up in Muskegon, Michigan, and played the sport; however, he coached Cub basketball before coaching soccer at Collegiate. Privasky has also been a part of coaching Outdoor Collegiate and rock climbing.

Back in 2019, Rob Ukrop, the head of Collegiate’s soccer program, asked Privasky and Boyd if they would be interested in coaching girls Cub soccer, after Upper School history teacher Courtney Schweickart stepped away from coaching. They both accepted and have been coaches ever since. 

Privasky and Boyd also have help from Coach Evelyn Booth, a talented soccer player who works in Collegiate’s Business Office. She helps them out tremendously and can relate to the girls. Privasky mentioned that “she has been such a great coaching addition.” 

At the the end of the school day, Boyd and Privasky start the day all over again with practice. They go from teachers to coaches. When asked if it’s ever challenging or stressful to manage both coaching and teaching, Boyd said, “It’s tiring, but it’s a whole different level of energy I get from the team.” Boyd and Privasky don’t just coach because they have to; they choose to. Privasky mentioned that it’s a great opportunity to work with younger kids, since he teaches in the Upper School. Despite having an eleven-hour workday, they still enjoy it. They show up daily with smiles on their faces, ready to be positive figures, role models, and coaches for the girls. 

Cub has turned out being an excellent fit for Boyd and Privasky. With both coaches being fathers to daughters, they naturally know how to communicate to the girls. They also know how difficult it can be to get cut from a team at higher levels of sports, so Cub sports are generally less stressful. Privasky mentioned, “The beautiful thing about Cub is that you can have some players that are really experienced [and] some that are brand new to the game,” so there’s opportunity to grow. Additionally, it’s a great time to watch the teammates help each other out and form new friendships. Team chemistry becomes essential when there is a wide range of skill levels on a Cub team. Privasky noted that with the team consisting of only 15 players, it can be harder to function as a cohesive unit. This is due to the lack of time they have to play together as a team.

An average day of Cub soccer practice begins with 15 minutes of running, stretching, and a dynamic warm-up. After that, they work on drills that focus on specific aspects to improve, including drills for dribbling, throwing, shooting, defense, or team dynamics. These drills usually last about 45 minutes. Recently, they have been working on executing accurate throw-ins and increasing the number of players on offense. Finally, at the end of practice, scrimmages are played on half of the field or the full field. This year, Boyd and Privasky noted that instead of playing on half of the field, the girls on the team prefer to play on the entire field, even though that means more running. This demonstrates this year’s team’s grit and determination.

Privasky and Boyd’s main goal is to spread positivity. This season they have an outstanding 10-0 record so far and beat St. Bridget’s twice, for the first time ever, which was a monumental accomplishment. I asked Privasky and Boyd what their favorite thing about coaching girls’ Cub soccer is, and they replied, “The team.” Boyd also added, “We succeed if the girls want to come back the next year, and by that measure, we’ve always been successful.” This demonstrates how much they care about their players, not just their record or individual skills. They also value the girls’ happiness. Boyd said, “We respect one another and have respect for the teammates, and that just elevates everyone.” This is important not only in coaching but also in life. 

Some delightful traditions Privasky and Boyd have continued through the years are their trips to Sweet Frog or to get Slurpees. These are times that unite the team and create lasting memories the girls can look back on. Personally, I will never forget being on that team when I was in Middle School and having them as my coaches. They never failed to cheer us up if we were down, and I am so grateful I got to spend those two years on the team. If it weren’t for the team, I may not have been as close as I am with some of my friends today. Even though we didn’t always have the best outcomes in our games, Boyd and Privasky always reminded us that no matter the final score, all that matters is that we had fun. 

All photos by Dave Privasky.