ISSUE 017: UCLA Women's Head Coach Margueritte Aozasa

IN THIS ISSUE

• ❤️ Introduction: Our soccer community

• 👨‍🎓 Soccer Thought Leaders: NCAA Champion Margueritte Aozasa

• 👥 Pathway Mentorship: 1-on-1 with Margueritte

• ⚽️ Soccer Jobs: New + interesting jobs!

• 🇺🇸 Featured Job: Ops Manager, Office of the CEO at US Soccer

• 🫵 Do This Now: Part 2: Institute a ‘reverse mentorship’

INTRODUCTION

Hello, Pathwayers! 👋

One of our key priorities at Pathway is to elevate great humans and top-tier professionals within our soccer community. And we couldn’t be more delighted to have UCLA’s Margueritte Aozasa as this week’s Soccer Thought Leader.

Today’s conversation serves as a great example of our tight-knit and supportive soccer community, as a whole, but also what we’ve intentionally built at Pathway - Margueritte came highly recommended by fellow Pathwayer Allen Hopkins Jr. (Our Soccer Thought Leader in Issue 004) who had so many good things to say about her.

And he was right.

Margueritte speaks about her start in soccer and the important role a coach can play in creating meaningful and lasting experiences in the sport. She also shares the impact of the mentors she’s had and speaks in detail about the high-performance environment she and her staff set out to create at UCLA.

Let us know what you think of today’s issue - drop us a line to share your feedback at [email protected]. We reply to every email!

Thanks, as always, for reading. 🤝

-Nolan Sheldon, Co-Founder & Chief Experience Officer

SOCCER THOUGHT LEADER: UCLA WOMEN’S HEAD COACH, MARGUERITTE AOZASA

Margueritte won a national championship in her first year as a head coach - and, from the outside, it may be easy to think that her success was instantaneous. As you read her story and learn about her career path, though, you’ll find that she has been honing her craft as a coach even while she was still a player at Santa Clara - and dedicated many years developing as a coach at the club level. Margueritte is also quick to pay respect to the coaches and mentors that have helped shape her and reminds us of the importance of great mentors and colleagues.

Margueritte began coaching youth soccer in Los Altos, California, moved into the collegiate ranks as an Assistant Coach at Stanford, and was named Head Coach of the UCLA Women in 2022.

It would be natural to speak to and highlight the numerous conference championships and three NCAA national championships that Margueritte has won as a coach (two at Stanford as an assistant and one at UCLA as a Head Coach), but as you’ll see, her focus is on the impact of mentors, developing meaningful relationships within the sport, and creating a high performing environment that allows for joy and trust to stay at the heart of it all. We hope you enjoy the read!

-Nolan Sheldon, Co-Founder & Chief Experience Officer

Questions and answers have been lightly edited for length and clarity (and any emphasis below is ours).

PATHWAY: How'd you get started in the sport and what was it about your experiences that led you to pursue a career in soccer?

MARGUERITTE: My origin story almost didn't happen because I grew up in a baseball family and I was quite the little league player. In my mind, I was going to be Derek Jeter and I was very much convinced I was going to be a shortstop for the Yankees. That's what I wanted to do up until I was probably eight or nine years old. So, it almost didn't happen if not for my group of friends at school who were all playing and my mom pretty much was like, “Honey, if you want to stay in this friend group, you're going to have to play soccer.” 

And so I started playing. And then that same group of friends started playing club soccer. So I ended up just tagging along with my friends to try out. I think the reasons I fell in love with it - one, of course, my friends were doing it, but then two, Albertin Montoya, who's now the head coach of Bay FC - was my coach at the time and the experience he created for all of us was just so special. When he was announced as Bay FC’s head coach, I almost had a tear in my eye and I think all my friends from that team felt the same way. That's just how much he means to us and the experience he created in the sport.

PATHWAY: Tell us about your early coaching years.

MARGUERITTE: I started coaching club soccer "full-time" during my sophomore year at Santa Clara University. I definitely worked on my time management skills during that time but found a way to make it all work. My coach, Jerry Smith, says he always knew I was going to coach so he was very supportive of my development in that area.

Coaching at the club level at Mountain View Los Altos Soccer Club was huge in helping me find my voice, find my style, and learn how to manage players and their parents. The amount of problem-solving needed to keep club teams going is comparable to what we do on a day-to-day basis at the college level. I stopped coaching club soccer as soon as I started here at UCLA. And I think the club experience, the youth experience is so powerful and I hold that very near to my heart because that's the reason why I love coaching.

PATHWAY: Before you became the head coach at UCLA, you were at Stanford for a number of years as an assistant. How did that experience shape you, your thinking, and the way in which you were going to approach your first role as a Head Coach? 

MARGUERITTE: I think so many assistants become assistants with the ambition to become a head coach, and that was not really my path. I was very happy as an assistant, especially under Paul Ratcliffe at Stanford. He is someone I respect very, very deeply. So, it wasn't like trying to get the most out of Stanford so that I could make the jump to be a head coach. That was not my approach at all. But I do think the experiences I had there have helped prepare me to be a head coach, mostly from being in such a high-performing environment. And I think Stanford is unique in that way - you’re always coaching players whose goal is to be one of the best players in the world every day. I think that was key in preparing myself for this job at UCLA because we have a lot of players with similar ambitions.

And so it felt like the experiences translated probably as best as I could have hoped they would. People always ask what I took from Paul, and the feeling I had working for him was really special because he was just so reasonable. I never had to worry if an emergency came up in my life. I never had to worry about his reaction. I knew that if something happened that I had to step away or not come in that day, his reaction every time was like, first, “Are you okay? Is there anything we can do? Take the time you need.” And that's something I try to bring here as a head coach, just being sure that my staff feels that way - that they feel very secure, they feel very safe. They feel like I always have their best interest in mind because that's how I felt every day with Paul.

PATHWAY: How did you bridge any experience, knowledge, or skill gaps from being an Assistant Coach at Stanford to Head Coach at UCLA?

MARGUERITTE: The hardest adjustment was just the amount of responsibility you feel for a program. As an assistant, I had become very good at coaching someone else's vision for the program and I almost felt like I lost my own preferences a little bit. So, there was a moment when I first started as a Head Coach that was like, “Oh wow, how do we want to play?” That was unnerving a little bit, and I really fell back on people around me - Albertin Montoya , my husband [Mykell Bates] who coaches at Angel City FC, and the assistants that I hired, I felt very comfortable with. And we all just kind of got together and talked through what I like, what I don't like, and what I think is realistic for this group.  

One of the most influential conversations I had when I first got the job at UCLA was with Albertin and he said, “Don't let anyone tell you that being the best and having fun are mutually exclusive. You can be the best in the country and you can have an absolute blast. It is not one or the other.” And I think that's very much what we try to do here at UCLA.

But that responsibility piece - I still am getting used to that because as an assistant, everything you say is a suggestion. You're not making any decisions. So, finding ways to keep myself in the best head space to do that I think was really important. I try to be on top of working out, and every workout I do is meditative of sorts. And then I can come back after that and feel more calm to make a decision. And then I just like to talk through things. I'm sure the people around me have gotten many earfuls over the last two years because what I've learned is that how I tackle problems is to talk through the process and then I can generally gauge based on my reaction to what people's advice is, how I actually feel.

And knowing that the decisions I make affect people on an individual basis, they affect the program as a whole, and they affect their department as a whole. When I'm talking about my players and my assistants, it affects their livelihood. It's beyond just how they feel that day. That's something that takes a lot of getting used to, but every decision I make so long as it's thoughtful, not rash, was something I did with great care.

PATHWAY: How do you assess and prioritize recruiting talent, and also character, that can be successful in such a high-performing environment?

MARGUERITTE: I am a big believer that watching a player play, you see aspects of their character, aspects of their personality come out. Our biggest thing is everyone can see talent, but can we recruit players that are brave enough to show their talent in an environment that's really competitive? We try hard as a staff to put as many guardrails in place so that they can perform. But, part of that is character - We have many conversations with our players - we can tell you a hundred times that we think you're good enough to be here, but if deep down you don't think you're good enough to be here, then you should move on. We encourage taking risks and stuff like that. But a big part of it is personality. Am I brave enough to do it in a hard environment? That's really key.

It's interesting too because I think we've created and maintained a really strong team culture here. And some people I think would take the approach of, because of that, we have to be very, very careful of who we bring in. And sometimes I err on the other side where I'm like, I actually think our culture's strong enough that we can bring someone that's maybe a little on the brink, and maybe it's temporary. We're going to see how they adapt to it. I believe in the power of numbers - you can't bring in five people who are going to be disruptive, but you might have one that has some great qualities and some that don't really fit. And I think if you have built something strong enough, more often than not, they're going to kind of sway the way that you want them to sway. 

PATHWAY: What advice would you give a young coach that's just starting out?

MARGUERITTE: The biggest thing I would say is do extremely well at what you're doing and the right people will notice. Sometimes I think people get caught up in trying to go from one stepping stone to the next stepping stone and then the next stepping stone. And what you're forgetting is doing a great job at what you're doing, because oftentimes that will speak for itself. The soccer world is relatively small. And so these impressions you're making on people, when they're overwhelmingly positive, that comes back to you pretty quickly. In my own case, I never sought out to coach in college. I was just trying to do my thing as a club coach. I think I had some incredible people in my corner who saw me working on a day-to-day basis and were generous enough to say my name when these positions came about.

I think treating people well is the other thing that people lose sight of - but if you genuinely treat people well, that comes back to you too. And oftentimes when you do that, people want to help you.

And then lastly, be brave enough to make connections. Put yourself in situations where you're going to meet a lot of people when you're a young coach, ask about camp opportunities, and do the courses, because even if you're not going to take away a ton from a technical aspect, you're going to meet people. And like I said, when you're genuine, and you work hard, and you treat people well, people will think of you when jobs come up. 

PATHWAY: Finally, what's your favorite thing about working in soccer?

MARGUERITTE: I'm sure every coach says this, but when you're working on something, whether it be more concrete or more abstract, and you start to see it come to fruition, that's so fun.

And then one thing I love also is, here at UCLA, we encourage our players to coach each other quite a bit. And it just warms my heart when you hear them doing it. But they're using the same words, the same language, the same things that we say, and it's just so endearing and it just feels like, okay, they're really taking in what we're trying to do. We're making an impression on them. And I just love it. Those little moments I think are really special. 

Ed. note: You can connect with Margueritte on LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter).

MENTORSHIP OPPORTUNITY: 1-ON-1 WITH MARGUERITTE

We’re excited to share that our friend Margueritte has agreed to host two mentorship sessions for Pathway subscribers on Tuesday, March 5th.

If you apply to participate, be sure to include a creative question in your application - we will select what we believe to be the top questions. We will select two (2) participants to join Margueritte for a 30-minute, 1-on-1 mentorship session.

PATHWAY MENTORSHIP APPLICATION: Margueritte Aozasa [click to apply!]

SOCCER JOBS: THE MOST INTERESTING NEW JOBS IN SOCCER

We’ve got you covered, job seekers. Here are a few of the more interesting roles that have recently been posted. Go get ‘em!

• Director of Medical - San Diego Wave FC

• Head of Brand - FIFA World Cup 2026

• Academy Coach - Los Angeles Football Club

• Senior Director, Talent Development - MLS

• Account Executive, Ticket Sales - Rhode Island FC

• Assistant Women’s Coach - Dakota State University

Want more? Sign up for our weekly “Pathway Jobs Newsletter” where we aggregate as many as 100 new soccer jobs all in one place - and drop it into your inbox every Friday.

DO THIS NOW: PURSUE A 'REVERSE MENTORSHIP [PART 2]

Last week, we outlined how one could pursue a ‘reverse mentorship.’ The concept is meant for someone still pre-career (i.e. still in school) or early-career - in other words, someone who might benefit from having a mentor themselves but still chooses to serve as a mentor.

Read our full recommendation in last week’s newsletter - Issue 016 - which provides some tips on how to find a mentee.

• DO THIS NOW: Use our framework below to initiate a mentorship with someone who can benefit from your experience and perspective.

Mentorships can take a ton of different forms so it’s important to find the structure that works best for you. That said, here are our recommendations for how to get started:

• Ask your newly-selected mentee what topics they’d like to cover (always a good place to start!)

  • Track their list and then add related topics

• Determine a regularly-scheduled meeting cadence

  • Our recommendation: Longer meetings less frequently are better than shorter meetings - we suggest 60-90 minutes, twice a month

• Consider identifying an end date for the mentorship from the start

  • This will allow both you and your mentee a natural time to evaluate how it’s going

  • If you’re both still getting value out of the meetings, there’s no reason you can’t continue

  • But, if it feels like the mentorship has run its course, you can part ways with a “good luck” - and maybe a high-five

  • If you’re meeting twice a month, we recommend an initial timeframe of 4-6 months (8-12 total meetings)

• Decide on a meeting location

  • In-person > video conference - meet in real life if you’re in the same city and able to

• Get to planning and outline the first few sessions

  • The best mentorship experiences occur when the mentor does some pre-planning

  • Even ~30 minutes of prep ahead of each session can make a big difference in the value delivered for your mentee

• Once you’ve selected the topic, write down a series of related questions

  • For example, if the topic is personal brand, you could ask your mentee:

    • What are your key areas of interest?

    • What do you want to be known for?

    • What did you study in college?

    • What projects are you working on in your job?

    • Do you feel more comfortable writing, sharing photos, or creating videos?

• Whatever the topic, spend a few minutes identifying concrete examples from your experience to share

  • The more open and transparent you can be about your own experience, and the lessons you’ve learned, the better (and don’t shy away from the hard stuff)

• In your early sessions work to build trust first

  • Try to avoid judgment and criticism - every comment or response should come from a place of kindness and empathy

  • As you build trust over time, you’ll be able to challenge and prod to help your mentee think differently

• Finally, be sure to build a feedback loop throughout the mentorship

  • Every 3rd or 4th meeting, ask your mentee what has been most helpful, what’s been most interesting, etc.

  • Ask what topics they want to cover that you haven’t yet

  • And don’t be afraid to ask for honest feedback on how you’re doing as a mentor - who better to help you grow than the person spending focused time with you every couple weeks?

There are a hundred different ways to approach a mentorship but we hope this provides you with a starting point and a framework from which to build.

Having a mentor is great. You should find one (if you don’t have one already). But, being a mentor can be equally valuable - and, in our experience, is even more rewarding.

Are you thinking of trying to find a mentee? Let us know what you think - and if there are other things we can share that would be helpful. We reply to every email we get: [email protected] 

Until next time!

-Kyle Sheldon, Founder & CEO

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The 2024 MLS season is upon us. The USL Championship season begins in just over a week. And NWSL fires up in less than three weeks.

Yes, it really is one of our favorite times of the year!

• John Bello

• Kyle Sheldon

• Nolan Sheldon