Merrimack College Women’s Soccer – Coach Gabe Mejail
In today’s episode, I speak with Coach Gabe from the Merrimack Women’s Program in Massachusetts. We talk about how he is managing his roster with the new limits. Coach also shares about his long history with the school and program. Plus, we discuss their understanding and experienced staff. Learn more about Merrimack College Women’s Soccer.
Matt: [00:00:00] Hi everybody. Welcome to Discover College Soccer. Today I’m lucky enough to be joined by Coach Gabe up at Merrimack College. Welcome coach.
Coach: Hello, how are you?
Matt: I’m good, thanks. Thanks for being here.
Coach: No, thank you for doing all this stuff. Thanks.
Matt: Yeah. No, it’s, uh, I, I’m excited. Uh, I think, uh, I don’t know at this point, coach, are you, are you like the longest tenured, uh, head coach in, in soccer at this point, or is there still a couple guys ahead of you?
Coach: No, in women’s soccer, I’m not sure about men’s soccer, but in women’s soccer, yeah. I am the longest. Um, wow. It was, yeah. This. Past season was, um, was actually, uh, the record. And, uh, you know, which eventually if somebody is foolish enough to last this long, you know, then uh, they’ll break that record too. So it was, uh, it’s been, it’s never been, it’s never felt like a job.
It always felt, you know, fun. And part of it. I can tell you part of the reason I could have lasted [00:01:00] this long is that. For the first, uh, 40 years or so, I was just a part-time coach ’cause I was a teacher as well. And, uh, you know, this was more like a hobby and it didn’t, I never felt the pressure was just the team wanting to win rather than me trying to keep a job.
You know, if I, you know, if things didn’t go well, I could still pay the rent, you know, if I got fired. It’s a different feel that team gets as a, as. I feel bad for some coaches that are worried about having winning seasons and things like that.
Matt: Yeah. Yeah. It’s, uh, well, thing things have certainly changed over the last few years, uh, in the soccer world.
So I guess the first question I have for you is have, you know. You, you, you’ve been there so long and, and you probably are somewhat in a routine in terms of how you recruit and building the team. Although with all these changes, I mean, that routine gets, you know, uh, has to change a little bit. So this, [00:02:00] this being January, kind of, where are you at in terms of, you know.
Are you still, are you still looking for any 20 sixes? Are you looking at the portal or like where does things stand with your team right now?
Coach: Well, no, we’re 20 sixes. We’re done. So thus, I’m not looking at the portal right now because we are done and, uh, and you know, with a new, um, roster limits, you know, it also, it, things have changed big time for us where it used to be, um, you know, bring in as many people as you can.
And then, you know, uh, Merrimack is not a large school and, um, so thus a lot of the sports, not just soccer, you know, having a lot of numbers, you know, helped with the tuitions and things like that. But then we opted in, so now. Slowly, I have to, by next, by the end of next year, it’s gotta be at 28. So, um, so we went from like 36 [00:03:00] kids and of course with 36 kids, even with 28 kids, it’s hard to get everybody in.
And, uh, we are certainly a program that. Use the subs, you know, average about 20 kids a game that get in even so they can feel like they’re contributing, even if it’s 10 minutes. Uh, um, but it’s hard. It just, you know, uh. Very difficult to, to get 35 kids into a game. Yeah. Uh, you know, there’s just no way. And 28 will be a little easier, which in the old days, that was roughly between 26 and 28 was the number I always had before they started pushing for me to have, um, you know, more and more people.
Um, the only thing that becomes difficult that we’ve always been very good about. Allowing walk-ons, you know, and trying out, because we wanted numbers. And you know, once in a while you get a [00:04:00] walk-on who winds up being a stud, you know, and that just because, you know, they might be in a smaller club, you know, where nobody pays attention, you know, those type of things.
So, um, so we’ve been fortunate. One of my captains for next year was actually a walk-on that came in, you know, two years ago.
Matt: Awesome. Awesome. Well, when, when you’re, you know, doing your, your kind of standard recruiting stuff, what, where are the places you like to go? What tournaments, what events were, were you in My backyard this past weekend?
For, for Eino Florida, or?
Coach: Yes, actually one of, uh, my, uh, associates, uh, Paul was, um, who’s been with me, uh, 25 years now. He was there. So he was doing a lot of the scouting and um, you know, he’s very thorough, so he, you know, he pretty much sent me the stuff I wind up doing the contacts. Um, so I basically sent, um, a lot of the emails out and, um, you know, to see, you know, how [00:05:00] truly interested people are.
You go and scout. Uh, in general we look at kids who contact us rather than going to watch a game and see who looks great, you know? Uh, so you feel that if they’ve contacted us first, at least they know where Merrimack is and they have an idea. Although, you know, some kids send, uh, mass emails out to all of the D one coaches and see how it goes, you know, but, uh, it’s a little easier.
When I started, obviously kids. That contacted me, there was a real true interest. ’cause you had to type the letter, put her in an envelope and put it in the mail, you know, and that’s where you got the stuff. And then we would send a questionnaire that they would have to fill out and put it in the mail and send it back, you know?
Um, so it was, you know, very different. Very different. It’s a lot easier now you can make a, [00:06:00] instead of a. You know, a fishing rod, you have a net to see what you get and um, you know, so it’s been, you know, simpler in that respect. But it, I feel where what hasn’t changed, it winds up still being the personal touch.
How do you, when you talk to the kids and the families, you know, how does that feel for them? And that’s what I look, I don’t wanna quote unquote buy a kid. I want a kid that comes to Merrimack because she likes the school and everything fits besides the soccer. Um, so that never, that has never changed, you know?
Uh, the one thing that it’s most amazing to me is that I’ve had. Three kids. Whose moms played for me. Wow. So,
Matt: wow.
Coach: So yeah, so that’s really kind of cool. One graduated a couple of years ago. There’s one on the team now, and there’s one on the team coming [00:07:00] next year. So that is always, uh, I feel very proud of that part, you know?
Yeah. That’s longevity, obviously. But, uh. Well, at least their parents don’t mind.
Matt: I was gonna say, that says a lot about you, that the parents said, Hey, I had such a good experience that I wanna, I want my kid to play there too. ’cause my daughter’s a senior in high school, you know, right now. And, and getting ready to go off and play and it’s, you know, it’s as, it’s
Coach: hard
Matt: as a former coach and, and you know, I, I’m, I wanted to make sure she ends up in a good situation.
So, yeah. So that says a lot, but, uh, yeah. It,
Coach: it’s, no, it’s, it’s fun. It’s, you know, I, I like coaching. I don’t feel like, um, it’s a job still, even though now it is because I’ve stopped teaching. So I just, I just coach now. But, um, you know, it’s, um, when it becomes a, a, a quote unquote job, that might be time to, uh, call it quits.
You know, when I stopped getting nervous before games, you know, those things.
Matt: Yeah. Well, you, we, so you talk about, you know, [00:08:00] make it your players, you wanna recruit people who wanna be there, obviously, but kinda what, what else makes up that, that hierarchy of things you’re looking for in a player both on and off the field?
Coach: Well, obviously on the field, you know, you look at the talent, um, you know, just as overall scale, athleticism, those type of things, which I’m sure are similar to most coaches. Um, once you. Identify, you know, a kid that you might want soccer wise. Then you know, you say, Hey, come and visit, see how you like the school.
And I always have them meet some of the girls on the team because they are gonna be the people you’re gonna spend more time with than me. You know, you’re better off if you don’t like your teammates. Even if you like the coach, you don’t want to go there. You know, and, uh, and you could put up with a jerk coach if you want to, as long as your teammates are good.
You know, so, so it’s easier. So that’s very important, um, in that respect. And, uh, [00:09:00] obviously a lot of the families, you know, the financial aid situation that. Probably for most families, the number one reason, although there’s no parent that’s gonna send a kid to a school they don’t like, you know, for a $500 difference or something.
So in general, the financial aids are similar for the better players that you know, that similar schools are looking at. So then it becomes really the personal part that makes a decision for many of these kids.
Matt: Yeah, for sure. Well, let’s talk a little bit more about the school. Like we said, you’ve, uh, you, you’ve got a few decades there, both as a teacher and coach.
So I guess what, what are the things about the school that have kept you there? What are some awesome things that you want folks to know about the school? Maybe some things we wouldn’t even know by going through the website.
Coach: Yeah, no, it is funny. I mean, I kind of, uh. Fell into the program. Um, because in my old job, I used to be a [00:10:00] programmer, believe it or not, now having trouble with Zoom.
But so before I was a teacher as a programmer. And, um, so we’re sitting in the, in the bullpen with some my colleagues and one of the women that goes, Hey, look, uh, there’s an ad for a coaching. You know, uh, opening in Merrimack College and I’m thinking, well, where the hell is Merrimack College? You know, and, uh, I didn’t know it was a small school.
This is back in 1984. They were starting the program and they needed somebody to start the program. I had coached four years at Wheaton College and had started the program there. But, um, you know, I was asked to resign. A new ad came in who wanted to bring in. Her own people, you know, which is not uncommon and uh, you know, um, so I was, uh, you know, just sitting around and missing coaching and, uh, so I came and I visited and they offered me the job because it was August.[00:11:00]
And they were starting in two weeks, you know? And I said, okay. So I just, my first recruiting class was really putting some posters on the dorms, you know, and see who comes out. And, you know, I would say half of those kids never played before. So it was true teaching soccer as much as coaching soccer. And, uh, and I enjoyed it and we were successful enough and, um, you know, it continued that way.
It, I always looked forward. It’s, you know, to me it was almost therapeutic, just getting outta my job and coming over and coaching and hanging out with the kids. Looking forward to practice. Um, I approached my coaching the same way I approached when I was a teacher. Uh, you know, that’s what you do. And, you know, uh, there is, you know, there is a difference.
When I started coaching, you know, I was in my twenties and these. [00:12:00] My players were like sisters. Now they’re more like, uh, you know, my grandchildren. But, you know, it’s, uh, you know, it’s still okay. It’s still, you know, I want the parents to feel good about sending their daughters here. So Merrimack has become, you know, my school, both my daughter went here.
And one of my, uh, twin boys went here. Uh, the other one went somewhere else because we didn’t offer the major, which is the number one reason to pick a school. You know, not a lot of, uh, soccer kids will be professionals. So it’s, uh, it does happen once in a while, but less than women than in men even actually.
Matt: For sure, for sure. Well, let’s, uh, let’s talk about, uh, kind of the. The transition between high school and, and college, like that can be a real tough thing for some kids. Really balancing the demands of being, uh, do you want [00:13:00] athlete as well as a student? So what, what kind of support systems are there at Merrimack to help the students be successful on and off the field?
Coach: It, it is funny because Merrimack is not a large school. Uh, the one thing that I think it’s outstanding for us is, um, it’s. A division three feel with division one athletics. So you are not a number out of about 50,000 people there. Um, so that feel is there. And there’s a lot of support for the, you know, for the athletes.
You know, there’s, uh, tutoring, there’s advising, you know, so fortunately for, for us in women’s soccer, they’re, I don’t know if it’s. Because I was a teacher first, it’s always, um, emphasizing academics, and that’s really big. Um, this past semester I had, uh, we had a 3.7 GPA as a team. So, uh, you know, they’re very [00:14:00] proud of that fact that, uh, you know, in general, we’re one of the top academic, uh, programs at the college and in our conference.
Um, so. That’s made it easier, you know, as far as not worrying about, uh, if the kids are studying, but that’s for whatever reason, most of the kids that contact me are good students anyway. So I, I, I worry less, I’ve never had a kid in 46 years be academically ineligible. It’s, uh. You know, and some kids would leave because of playing time, you know, understandably so, or you know, things like that.
But in reality, it’s never been a, a school thing. The support has always been there.
Matt: Yeah, that’s, I think, I think generally speaking, uh, of the almost 200 women. College soccer coaches I’ve talked to, I think it’s, uh, generally you’re recruiting high academic, uh, folks who, who, and girls [00:15:00] soccer tends to be one of the highest ranked teams in, in every, every athletic department
Coach: in every school.
Yes. They’re, I think a lot of the girls have found are driven both athletically but also academically. So it’s been easy. It’s been easy. Um, even sometimes where you would have, um. Kids who are not great students, they wind up becoming great students because of, you know, the peer pressure, the good peer pressure,
Matt: right.
Coach: You know, to, to achieve. I don’t wanna be the only kid below a 3.0, you know, that kind of stuff. Uh, so, um, so that helps. And for sure, I think when you help a kid get in who’s a marginal, uh, admissions, they always respond well because they’re. You know, they’re thankful, they’re grateful about them, about the opportunity.
Matt: Yeah, absolutely. Well, let’s rewind back to October that, that conference season. Walk me through what’s a typical week [00:16:00] look like for the players in terms of winner classes, meals, practices, games, all that stuff.
Coach: Yeah, I, I would assume it’s similar to most places, but I tell the kids, um, I know some schools practice in the mornings.
I, I, I think sometimes 8:00 AM it’s an ungodly time to be playing soccer. So we go in the afternoon, so I tell the kids to. Take most of their classes in the morning, if possible. And we’ll practice around three or four o’clock, uh, depending, we’ll alternate with the men, you know, so we see who gets the earlier slot and who wants to be here later.
And, um, so in season, most of the games for the Mac are. Wednesday Saturdays, which is a little different than most D one schools who play Thursday, Sunday. So our non-conference schedule, all those games are Thursday, Sunday, our first six games, and then we go to Wednesday, Saturday. The [00:17:00] advantage I can tell you of Wednesday, Saturday, uh, is that Sunday becomes your day off.
Matt: Mm-hmm.
Coach: Which is a true day off. Whereas when we were in the NEC. Monday was a day off, which is not really a day off because you have class and things, and I had to go to work besides soccer, so, so this, uh, this works a little better, um, especially once a conference starts, but a general, you know, you’ll have your classes in the morning and practice in the afternoon and then, you know, go to dinner and, uh, study.
It’s a, a pretty, um, straight. Set up in that respect. So, you know, we will incorporate, you know, strength and conditioning work. You know, not so much in the fall as we’re so busy with real practices, but a little more in the off season. And, uh, so, and they, my players know school comes [00:18:00] first and I tell the recruits and I tell the parents that as well.
So there’s no, there are no excuses, uh, for academic problems. They know when the schedule is and it gets a little harder for, um, science majors, you know, engineering majors, uh, which, uh, there’s always a few of those on the team. And, um, you know, so they might have a lab in the evening, you know, so they might need to leave practice 15 minutes early.
And that’s the way it goes. They wouldn’t be here the way I look at it, nursing especially, it’s, you know, a big major for us. And, uh, not a lot of schools in D one let you be a nursing major. We do. And, um, they accommodate as well where they actually have, um, most of the harder stuff is in the spring and, uh, as opposed to say, lacrosse.
Where the harder stuff is in the fall.
Matt: Right.
Coach: So they, [00:19:00] they, they’ve been great with us, I would say.
Matt: Good. That’s awesome. Well, let’s talk a little bit more about the team. You, uh, you told us a little bit, uh, about your, your associate that was down here at the ECNL event in Lakewood Ranch. But, but talk to me more about the, the rest of the, the staff who, who all’s there, what roles do they play?
Maybe what other support staff are in the athletic department that help out with the team?
Coach: It’s been. We get along real well, but we also argue, so, so Paul and I, you know, sometimes it’s like we’re an old, married couple, you know, as, uh, he’s my associate. We discuss everything and don’t agree with everything.
And again, after he was, um. He is the husband of one of my former players and former assistant. So when she got pregnant and um, was gonna stop coaching with me, he goes, you know, my husband coaches. So he became by [00:20:00] default and, um, you know, and we’ve been together ever since nine, since, uh, 2020. Um. 2001, basically.
So I always know it’s 25, this will be 26 years. So he will be, uh, you know. Again, he does more and more every year and, um, especially during the setting up the practices and things like that. And, um, so he truly is an associate, almost like a co-head coach. And, um, and then besides him, uh, rich, uh, Perry, he.
He’s been a volunteer coach for us, and he comes when he can and he’s, um, you know, as like an advisor as much as a coach with a, with the players. Um, Bella Mendoza is a new assistant coach. She is younger. Uh, she’s only been outta college for a couple of years. She’s a goalkeeper. She’s terrific. Intense.[00:21:00]
Brings that to the table for the kids. It’s, I feel it’s. Important to have a female on staff in that respect. And especially young, you know, someone that understands Instagram and all those things. And, um, you know, so she’s been terrific. She’s done some scouting herself. I mean, I’m starting to learn how strict or how easy she is, you know, with how she, um.
Uh,
Matt: evaluates.
Coach: Evaluates the kids. Yeah. So, um, so that’s great. So we’ve gone together a few times and, um, and then, you know, besides that, um, our trainer, head trainer, uh, Erin Burke is her name. She is just, the girls just absolutely love her. She, um, takes care of us basically, you know, and yeah, she wants to get him out there if there’s an injury, but you know, she will worry a lot about.
Especially when you deal with [00:22:00] concussions and things like that. And then, uh, we have, uh, Brett Richardson has been our, um, our strength and conditioning coach. Uh, he played soccer, um, in college, so he understands that part of the conditioning work. So it’s been really good. So it’s not all about just bulking up, you know, it’s, uh, it’s so, it’s been, um, just a great staff.
Um, you know, makes your job easier in reality. Um, so yeah, no, the, the school, the support has been great, you know, especially since we. Even when we were in D two, our hockey was in D one, so we got a lot of the good stuff because they were getting good stuff. And then as we six years ago now it’s, uh, we’ve been D one, uh, you know, it’s, um, it’s a little different.
You get more kids emailing you, not necessarily any, you know, we still had some great players in D [00:23:00] two, but, uh, it does change.
Matt: For sure, for sure. Well, coach, I, I, I appreciate all the, all the insights. I know we could go on for, for hours here. Well, you know. Yeah. But, uh,
Coach: like I said, we can talk forever. So I know you probably have other meetings coming up though,
Matt: but I’m gonna leave you with one last question, coach.
Uh, you know, with all your years of experience, I think you’ll, you’ll be poised to answer this well for folks. But if, if, if you had a daughter that was going through this process right now, or anybody that’s going through this process right now. What, what’s kind of the one cardinal piece of advice that, that you would give them as, as they do their recruiting
Coach: school?
First, you gotta like the school first because you could get injured. And what do you wanna do? If you break your leg break, broken leg test? Would you be there if you, A, were hurt, or B, you weren’t an athlete? That’s how you start looking at schools. The soccer, of course, if you’re a good player, it’s gonna fit.
No matter where you choose.
Matt: Yeah, [00:24:00] absolutely agree. Well, coach, it’s been a pleasure. Uh,
Coach: thank you very much. I’m glad we got it worked out with the videos here. Yep. And uh,
Matt: it’s
Coach: all good. Anything else you ever need from me? And thank you again so much for doing this. I think it’s great for the kids.
Matt: Nah, I appreciate that.
All right, well thank you coach. Best of luck.
Coach: Have a good day. Bye-bye.
