Coaching Philosophy

Development based on all four essential pillars of soccer

• Technical training (skills)
• Tactical development (decision-making)
• Psychological development
• Physical development

Contextualized Development

• Development by doing
• Development through small-sided games and activities
• Development through games encourages passion
• Development in “reading the game”
• Development in weighing risk vs. safety
• Development through replication of street soccer

The Coaches:

Director of Coaching, Austin Guest  just completed his fifth year at the helm of the Midlothian High School soccer program where he directs both the boys and girls varsity soccer teams which have won District Championships four of the last five years. Over the course of his career, Austin has been  named him District Coach of the Year 17 times.  Prior to Midlothian, Austin coached at Red Oak High School. He started the girls’ program, molding the Lady Hawks into perennial playoff contenders. The Lady Hawks won six consecutive District Championships and remained undefeated in district play for a six-year period under his guidance. The Red Oak Hawks boys’ team finished the 2003 campaign with a 21-5-1 record and the Texas AAAA State Championship. After the State Championship run, Austin was named NSCAA Adidas State and Region VI (Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma) High School Coach of the Year in 2004. This award qualified him as one of eight finalists for Nation Coach of the Year. Austin also served as the head coach for Southwestern Assemblies of God University Men’s Varsity team for 5 years, leading them to the NCCAA Regional Tournament twice and to a NBCAA Provisional National Championship.

Austin holds a USSF National “B” License, a NSCAA Region I Goalkeeping Diploma and worked for several years as the head coach of the NTSSA 86 and 82 North Texas Olympic Development Teams, leading the 82’s to a USSF Region III Championship in Montevallo, Alabama in 1998. Austin has built a reputation of a very successful club coach for the last 18 years and has developed over 150 players who have gone on to play collegiate soccer.

Before embarking on his coaching career, Austin gained a great deal of playing experience at many levels. He played at Red Oak High School and TCU before moving on to an 11-year career in the USISL (now the USL), where he was a five time all-star, won a league indoor championship, and an outdoor runner-up medal. Austin has international experience, having played matches in Guatemala, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Moldavia, and the Ukraine, most of those as a USISL All-Star. As a youth player, he captained the national indoor runner-up U19 team under the coaching of Dallas Sidekicks’ Tatu in 1986. He graduated from TCU with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a minor in Psychology and received TCU’s Freshman Academic Athlete of the Year Award in 1986. A long time Ellis County resident, Austin and his wife, Dee Dee, live in Midlothian with their children, Gabriella (14), and Beckham (9), along with Great Dane, Kaiser.

Coach Kenneth Kelley, Jr. resides in Waxahachie and is a recent graduate of Northeastern State University in Oklahoma (NCAA DII), where he played varsity soccer for 2 years and captained the RiverHawks.  Prior to his NSU career, Junior played 2 years at Hartwick College in New York (NCAA DI) where he was Freshman All-America Honorable Mention.  Junior played for the PASLs DFW Tornados during the Winter 2009 season.  As a high school player, Junior captained the Red Oak Hawks varsity soccer team to a 2003 State 4A Championship and was name MVP of the State Tournament.

This will be Junior's first years as a club coach, but he has worked Midlothian High School soccer camps for four years and served a coaching internship with the Midlothian High School program through his studies at Hartwick College.  Junior will be coaching the 97 Girls team.


 
Coach Steven Rose  was born in Worcester, England and resides in Waxahachie. Steve graduated from University College Worcester with a Bachelor of Science in Sports Psychology and Sports Coaching. During his time at College, he represented the soccer first team as goalkeeper. Steve was selected to attend the England University trials where he was chosen to represent the West Midlands. During his playing time in England, he also played non-league soccer for Evesham United & Pershore Town. Since being in the States, Steve participated as part of the Dallas Sidekicks squad as a goalkeeper for two seasons. He continues to be involved in the Dallas Sidekicks summer/winter camp programs.  During the Winter 2009 season, Steve played for the PASL's DFW Tornados team.

Coaching soccer has been a fundamental part of his life, both in England and the United States. In England, he worked at St. Clements Primary School coaching the soccer team and supervising the students on major excursions to Holland and France. In the U.S., Steve has worked throughout the country as a coach and camp coordinator for Major League Soccer Camps. Steve has a successful goalkeeping academy working with a number of goalkeepers of all ages and abilities. Four of the goalkeepers he works with played varsity for their high school team and one was selected for the 2006 All-District Team.

Steve holds a USSF National "C" License and a NSCAA National Goalkeeping Diploma.

In the ECSC organization, Steve coached the 89/90 Boys team, 92 Boys team and the 92 Girls team. He currently coaches the 94 Boys team and the 96 Boys team. The 92 Girls team advanced to the semi-final games at the November 2005 Granbury Tournament where they played to a tie through two overtimes before losing on Penalty Kicks and at the Spring 2006 and Spring 2007 Coca-Cola Tournament in Waco.   More recently, the 92 Girls  were awarded second place at the 2008 Famm Premier Shootout and advanced to the finals of the 2007 FC Dallas Pre-Thanksgiving Tournement.  Steve's older Boys team also won the 2008 Fall Premier Shootout and advanced to the semi-final game at the Spring 2007 Coca-Cola Tournament.

Coach Jason Shackelford  has served as Head Junior Varsity and Assistant Varsity Coach for both the Boys and Girls programs at Midlothian High School for six years.  He holds a USSF National "C" License and a NSCAA Regional Goalkeeping Diploma.  A former champion powerlifter and avid wake boarder, Jason currently coaches the 97 Girls team and resides in Midlothian with his wife, Stephanie, and their dogs.

Club President,  Randy Linnstaedter  recently moved to Ellis County and plays a very important role with ECSC as the “voice of experience” for the club from a parental perspective. Randy has two daughters who have been involved heavily in club soccer, one of which now plays at The University of Dallas. As the president of the DeSoto Soccer Booster Club, he facilitated the creation of a lighted soccer-only facility for the DHS soccer teams. He brings a wealth of experience to the ECSC table with his knowledge of club management, team management, player/coach, parent/coach relationships, fundraising, and facility improvement. A volunteer for the club who has seen soccer benefit his daughters, Randy is anxious to help improve the game at all levels in his new home county.