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Staver is up to the task of coaching 16 boys By KRIS HENRY Being a parent to one child between the ages of 15 to 18 is tough enough, let alone when it's two. Now bump that number up to 16. Any takers? In reference to the RVSC's Crew boys soccer team, Sally Staver agreed to take on the challenge four years ago. For better and worse, Staver says her life has been altered by players long on talent and occasionally short on fuses. "Four years ago, I'm not sure anybody wanted to coach them," she says of the then U-15 squad. "Everybody knew that they were a handful, and they definitely had a reputation as a wild bunch. But I think this year, they really turned that reputation around." Prone to an expletive or two - which is hardly unique to the Crew - the team has matured over the years. "Their own mouths would get in the way for them, but they've really turned that around," says Staver, 44. "It's been a huge growth and development for these players." Staver has been coaching for 14 years, some in California and mostly on the club level. On average, she says, she has coached two teams per year, but she whittled that down to just the Crew the past two years. Breaking from the stereotypical coaching scenario, Staver has always coached boys soccer teams. "I've been asked to coach girls several times, but I've chosen to stick with the boys," she says. "Coaching girls is a whole different ballpark. And I think there's a lot these guys are getting from me that they wouldn't from a male coach. At least I hope that's the case." Staver's approach with the Crew has been mostly to stand back and allow the players plenty of freedom. "She's a great coach and knows a lot about the game," says midfielder Corey Parks. "Even though it's a loose practice, she still teaches us a lot." Staver maintains that low-key approach during games, advising players while still letting them dictate play of the game they know and love. "I think it's good when coaches don't say too much in games and let the kids play," adds Parks. It may seem to some like the players take a little too much advantage of Staver's leniency, but she doesn't believe that to be the case. "I think they do respect me, and I respect them completely," she says. "I give them a lot of rein." So far this season, that freedom has brought the Crew a state championship, a Rogue Valley Cup championship and a berth in next week's Western Regional Championships. Not that there haven't been a few tests along the way. "They have tried my patience and tolerance and have taken me to places that I thought I would never go mentally," Staver says with a sigh. "I probably know more than I should about these boys. They're very rambunctious." None of that has stopped Staver from becoming a little emotional about ending her relationship with a Crew team she's grown to love. "I have a lot of gray hair because of them, but they have my heart," she says. "I don't know if I'll ever be able to top these guys." Reach reporter Kris Henry at 776-4488, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.