Interview with Coach Todd Massar

North Atlanta High School Boys Soccer Coach


Proud Accomplishments:

Going to the State Tournament for the past five years (2002-2006)

Advancing to the 2nd Round of the State Tournament in 2002 and 2005

Twice Finishing Region-Runners Up (to Druid Hills) in 2003 and 2004

Earning my NSCAA National Goalkeeping Diploma and USSF “D” Licenses

North Atlanta Coach of the Year, 2003




Question: What advice would you give to young players entering high school who want to play soccer for their high school   
team?  

You need to come into the season match-fit, specifically by having good cardiovascular fitness and being technically sharp. With only two
weeks of practice before the first week of matches, coaches have very little time to spend on fitness and starting from Square One on
technical drills. Coaches need this time to work on developing team tactics and figuring out what formations suit the players that have come
out to play. The best way to insure that you come into the season match-fit is to get involved in some sort of Club team or Recreational
League to keep sharp. Other possibilities would be to participate in Fall Sports such as Cross Country or Swimming to improve
cardiovascular fitness.



Question: What training would you recommend for a high school player who is dedicated to improving him or her self in the
off season?

Play the game year-round, especially in the Summer. The best players work on their games year-round. While some players are taking it
easy in the dog days of Summer, you can jump ahead of them by dedicating yourself towards improving your technical abilities.


Question: What special skills do you think a successful coach must possess to lead his or her team during the season?  

Preparing a team with properly structured practices is essential. There are two main factors that go into preparing practices- correcting
mistakes from previous games and Scouting. It is important for the coach to critically assess their matches and look at what the team did well
and where they had breakdowns. Once they do that, they can work on reinforcing the positive aspects of their team and correcting the
areas where they are having problems. Scouting plays a big part of developing practices because when you a scout a team’s tactics, style,
tendencies and key players, you can prepare your team for what lies ahead of them.   

In-game management is really an underrated part of the game. I think that the ability to quickly analyze the other team’s tactics early on is
vital. If you lack the flexibility to adjust, you will find it difficult to win on a consistent basis. The use of Substitutions in the right situations can
also play a big part in a team’s success or failure.



Question: How has being a teacher helped you become a better coach?

For one, it introduced me to the world of coaching. I was a fan of the game, but never really entertained much interest in coaching until I was
approached by my AD and asked to coach the team.

As far as my experiences as a teacher, it has helped me to learn how to manage team dynamics, handle one-on-one situations and
objectively assess each player’s strengths and weaknesses.

Question: Do you have any players that just graduated that are playing College Soccer now? If so, who are they and where are
they playing? Do you have any advice for them?

We now have a goalkeeper, Sierra Threat,  that is now playing at Southern Wesleyan. Currently, we have two players starting for their club
teams at LSU (Oliver Shaw) and Georgia Tech (Ivan Gadjev), neither school having NCAA teams for men. We’ve also had a few players
offered scholarships at NAIA schools, but they opted to go to universities in the Atlanta area to help out their families.

I keep in contact with them and I encourage them to continue to play the game as long as they still have the passion for it. However, I also
remind them that they need to remember that their academics come first and to never lose sight of that. You invest a lot of time and money
to go to college and many people (parents, other family members) make sacrifices to get you to that point, so to fail is not an option.  


Question: What advice would you give to student athletes who are struggling academically in school?

We try and stay on top of the students to make sure that they are maintaining their grades during the season. We have a mandatory Study
Hall with tutors that come in from local colleges to help out. If the players don’t attend it, they don’t play-it’s as simple as that. I also
periodically have the players get progress reports signed by all of their teachers and have them hand them in to me. If I see that they are
not making the grades necessary to compete, I have them sit out matches until they bring their grades up to standard.  


Question:  To whom or what do you attribute your ability to be a successful high school coach?

First and foremost, my father has served as an example of how a coach should conduct himself. My father is the Recreation Director at
Peachtree Presbyterian Church in Buckhead and was once a Professional Golfer. He’s basically been coaching various sports for almost 40
years, In my youth, my father coached me in a variety of sports. Reflecting back on those experiences, I have learned how to conduct myself
and to handle various situations that arise when coaching.

Relating to soccer, since my first year of coaching I have relied on the coach of our girl’s team, Bob Davies. He has a lot of experience
coaching at both the club level and high school level. I like to pick his brain for knowledge about certain tactics, practice ideas, evaluation of
players etc.


What do you love about the game of soccer?

I love coaching and managing matches. When everything is going right and my team is doing what we’ve worked on practice, it is very
satisfying and worthwhile.


What do you love about coaching high school soccer?  

The rivalries are an exciting aspect of high school soccer. Also, I love the State Tournament and the excitement generated throughout the
team about participating in it.

Who is your favorite professional soccer team?

FC Bayern Munich- I’ve been a huge fan of the team since I was young. I’ve gone over to Germany a few times primarily to watch their
games. I also lived in Germany for a time, so my love for the team grew even stronger while living there.

Who is your favorite professional soccer player?

Oliver Kahn is my favorite player nowadays. I am partial to goalkeepers since I coach the position.

Growing up, my favorite player was Juergen Klinsmann. He was such a strong scorer and had a real determination to do what he needed to
do to help his teams win. I think that these qualities also reflected in his coaching abilities during the World Cup last Summer in Germany.

Who is your favorite college soccer team?

My alma mater- University of Illinois-Chicago. They had a great year and were ranked for the majority of the season.

Who taught you the game of soccer?

I learned the game largely through playing in various recreational leagues in the Atlanta area, including the YMCA and Peachtree Road
United Methodist.