"I have 3 daughters who played college soccer. Combined the 8 coaches. I coached 40 girls over 15 years that played college soccer and Michelle Demko was by far the most professional caring coach. She stayed committed to my daughter after an ACL tear and continues to be there for her long after she was her coach and was always honest with her! Coach Demko and I spent a few nights watching games and breaking down the game and her knowledge and understanding of the game is superb! No coach is perfect, in the modern landscape she is a rare coach that cares more about players, education, and development than she does keeping her job. Our family loves Coach Demko. "
"Grumpy guy, he has no business being a D1 coach, zero experience as a head coach with anything 11v11 competitive before being hired. GWU now one of the worse teams in the country."
"Coach that retaliates against players she doesn’t like, picks favorites, runs players into the ground by ignoring injuries. She only truly cares about her career growth and how important people view her. Probably the fakest person I’ve ever encountered, will say anything to get what she wants or stay in power. She also doesn’t coach her players, only makes people self conscious and uses manipulation to control the narrative"
"Chrissy Schoonmaker is the worst coach I have ever had in my 18+ years of softball. She is a poor communicator, disorganized, volatile, and unprofessional. I would not wish this coach on any player as she picks favorites, over uses and injures players, and destroys their mental game. She does not value defense and this season we had 2 defensive practices. She makes up excuses for her downfalls and blames outside instances for in-game mistakes. She will never take responsibility for her own actions or mistakes and makes every effort to put blame on anyone but herself. Christina Schoonmaker is also dishonest and not worthy of your trust. Unless you are a favorite on the team, you cannot trust her with any information about yourself or struggles you are having; she will hold them against you. She is also incapable of having a spontaneous, candid conversation. If you ask her to speak, she needs 1-2 days before she can meet, will bring in another coach to make you feel small, and only listen to respond, never to hear. Over all, I would not recommend Chrissy Schoonmaker as a coach to any player looking to play college softball. The George Washington University is a wonderful school but not worth the mental, physical, and emotional tolls the softball coach puts players through. "
"Her lack of care for mental health was awful. The only care was winning, at any cost. In addition having her husband on the coaching staff created uncomfortable fights and an awkward dynamic. "
"We were told that GW soccer were “family” during recruitment but once the season started we felt that it was all false. This coach had her favorites and made it very obvious, which creates resentment. She will play the same players even when losing and many really good players never had the chance to play. When approached by players to find out why, she never offered explanations. Her boundaries need a lot of work. "
"Eric has always been a coach that has chosen favorites and I think he's gotten worse about hiding it over the years. As someone who was recruited by him, I was equally as excited as he was about the new experiences and opportunities for growth as he seemed to be coming to UMass. After the first year though, his intentions became more clear. Emphasizing his excitement for the incoming classes have served as a scapegoat for him for the past three years of stagnant conference performance (4th in 2021, 2022, and 2023). He has tried to move past these years of failure by excitedly looking forward to the classes ahead, and in the process ignores the hard work and adversities that the classes he did not recruit have put in. This continues now even with the athletes that he recruited himself, continuing his trend of hypocrisy and lying.
As a previous rower, it breaks my heart to watch over and over again as freshmen who are so excited to row well and improve have their dreams and potential ruined by a coach who chooses his favorite athletes not based on how well they move a boat, but by how much they go and talk to him in the office and "build a relationship." While I agree it is important for coaches to have a relationship with their athletes, it starts with how much of a safe, trustworthy, and reliable space a coach provides to there athletes, and Eric provides no such thing.
Additionally, after years of being coached by him, my confidence in him as a coach on a technical and athletic level has diminished. Every year, he has switched the type of rowing stroke that he considers the "UMass stroke" around winter time, and then switches back in the fall at the beginning of the next year. By doing this, he creates different strokes within boats and tension between athletes because no one adjusts quickly enough to his drastic changes (ex: pause at the finish changed to fast hands around the back end last year and the year before). There is also tension created between the athletes because of his selection processes.
Eric's favorites are put in the top boat, coxswain or rower. They are certainly fast because there is not a lack of speed on the team, but the way in which he selects the top boat inflates the heads of the athletes that he choses and belittles the dedication of all those placed (not ranked-placed) below the 1st Varsity 8+. Eric also has a tendency to inflate egos by making lineups that are requested to him by his favorites, collaborating with them over the training plans, and considering their opinions in selection processes; all things that athletes should essentially have no say in. Overall, Eric is an indecisive man with a love for drama among his teams and I would not recommend him as a coach to any young athletes or any programs looking for a coach."
"He is a great coach, very easy to talk to and accommodating. Very transparent and is willing to have a conversation with anyone if something is unclear. I have never had a single issue with him or his style of coaching. "
"Eric has created a team continuously building for the future and an environment where we all love practices and pushing each other to be better.
I completely disagree with some of the other comments but I think it’s because he was still so new in this role and had to set a foundation for the future. Eric is someone who is willing to work with anyone, you just have to go in and ask. He took a lot of our feedback last semester and implemented it into the training plan this year. And the difference is already so noticeable. A level of buy in is necessary for any team and I honestly believe that the negative comments have come from people who didn’t even try to put any trust in the training plan or in the coaches.
He is genuinely one of the only coaches in the game who works and has such a close relationships with many of his athletes and genuinely cares about them."
"Coach needs to be replaced. Pits players against each other to pass blame. Poor leader. Makes poor decisions on lineup. Makes unnecessary cuts on good dedicated players. No effective strategies to improve team aside from having players and coaches point fingers. Not strong technically. Weak conditioning. "
"Brian made me believe in myself and gave me the courage and confidence to put „make the German national team“ on my goal sheet. He pushed me on a daily basis, inside and outside the pool and I couldn’t be more grateful for all he did for me and my athletic career. He even came to German Nationals in Berlin with me - where I achieved my goal of making the national team and qualified for world university games. This was almost 8 years ago and I still keep in touch with him from time to time and cannot wait to see him at my wedding this summer :) This is the relationship Brian builds with his swimmers because he cares about them as athletes AND people!
He is a great coach - one of the best I’ve ever been coached by! "
"Being one of the only coaches that really gave me a shot at competing at a D1 level, I had much higher hopes for the program than what I had experienced. Never have I ever been a part of a more disorganized team; every single time we traveled, something went wrong. And don't even get me started on the level of coaching. Our team probably would have been better off coached by Helen Keller. Not only did we not have a single viable tactic to use in all of our matches, but we also were out-coached in each and every game we played; it seems like the only thing that kept our record alive was a token player on the team or just pure luck. Hopefully, GW figures out how to hire a coach that knows the sport they're coaching instead of brown-nosing an out-of-touch incompetent."
"Barry is a straightforward coach that sort of knows outdated water polo. He is extremely disorganized with game tactics (there is none), as well with traveling with the team. He makes a really fun sport and unpleasant experience. If he cared about the sport and his players maybe there is potential on him, but he clearly wants to be done with coaching. "
"A lot of ups and downs in my tenure. Often times felt lied to & misled, many more times than I appreciated. On the other hand, other times we got along and seemed like he cared for me a lot. "
"May come off as a nice guy, but he has no idea how to build a team environment. He is dishonest and combative when athletes bring up real concerns and issues. He wants to be a part of the popular cliques on the team and will overlook bullying of team members. He does not care about mental health, and anything he says when recruiting that may contradict that statement is completely performative. He is only focused on “building” the team with all international girls, big talk about our future as a program but really no action. I would have to guess any of these positive comments on this page came from his favorites athletes - if you don’t fall into that category (which is not based on performance, either), consider your career and all momentum shut down. He also has absolutely no respect for the extreme hard work of our walk-on athletes, anything he says about eventually granting scholarships to walk-ons is a lie. It doesn’t happen. I am also not sure if he knows what he is talking about concerning rowing coaching specifically. His corrections are often confusing and contradictory, and the way he decides upon lineups (at the last minute as well) is nonsensical and not based on numbers or performance. Overall, don’t come here no matter how much he pushes for it or what you see from athletes on officials, unless you want to leave hating the sport of rowing just like me- the team is slow and super fake and unhealthy socially. He lied to me and he will lie to you. I hope you see this if you are considering rowing under him, and that you run the other way. Really, I have no other motive in saying this than to help avoid you having to go through something even remotely similar to what I did. "
"I would love to say that my teammates and I had a comprehensively great experience swimming for GW, but that would not be true due to the tumultuous, unnecessarily stressful, and inconsistent emotional environment created by Coach Thomas. I would be remiss not to warn future collegiate athletes considering George Washington that if you are looking for a coach that is fair, reasonable, or measured in his emotional reactions, then Coach Brian Thomas is not for you. "
"Coach Ritchie is an excellent baseball coach. His immense experience within baseball gives him great credibility. He’s very organized and motivating. However he doesn’t deal with injuries in the best manner using an old school mentality. "
"The facilities in many ways are out of date and tight on space. The locker room is extremely outdated and most facilities used by soccer are on a separate campus with and increasingly unreliable university transportation system taking you there"
"Jonesy is very direct and to the point. He values winning and is very intense in the way he goes about it. While a little disorganized and sometimes lacking with communication, he’s a good guy"
"Best coach I’ve ever had. That says it all. Caring, honest, helpful, knows so much about lacrosse, knows each player and how to coach/approach them, accessible. Great human being. Would reccomend to anyone. "
"Marci says some of the right things, but has very little knowledge on how to implement them. She is inflexible, difficult to understand, and at times, emotionally abusive. "
"Coach Marci’s words and actions do not align. While she says the right things about taking time to recover, heal, self care, etc, her real attitude comes through and is reflected in a burnt out, injury prone team. She has select favorites and has a history of a taking emotional and physical toll on athletes. "
"If I didn’t love GW I would’ve transferred. Coaching staff is terrible at recruiting, past year losing season and year before that not so great either."
"Marci is a good coach & she means well- but she is very set in her ways. Training plan works well for most, but not all. 5 girls got hip surgery in the past year & she is still unable to be flexible about the methods of training that she focuses most on? Red flag. Her inability to adapt could be detrimental to both herself and the program."
"Marci really knows how to create a training plan that will both push your limits and help you improve. I’ve seen great improvements in my rowing ability, not because I am worked beyond my limits but more so because the training is formed around creating personal and team growth. She’s always available to talk about the training plan with you. "
"Marci really knows how to create a training plan that will both push your limits and help you improve. I’ve seen great improvements in my rowing ability, not because I am worked beyond my limits but more so because the training is formed around creating personal and team growth. She’s always available to talk about the training plan with you. "
"She takes a lot of time to emphasis the teams goals and technical aspects of the stroke. She really tries to break down things to their simpliest form to make the learning transiton easier for everyone. "
"She is intense, but she truly cares about the wellbeing and progress of every person on the team. She’ll really push you, and while that can be annoying sometimes, she really does have our best interests at heart. "
"Coach Marci can do a great job motivating athletes, if you are a favorite of hers. If you aren’t, you can expect ambivalent coaching and indirect communication. The way she talks can run counter to the way she coaches, especially when it comes to injuries. "
"Eric was my coach for 3 years at GW. He fostered an amazing sense of family and was fair in most of his decisions. He truly cared about his athletes off the water which was super refreshing. "
"She is a good coach but unfortunately favoritism plays a huge role on the team. If you’re not a favorite, you won’t be successful. She definitely knows how to come up with successful training plans and can make a winning team. She puts a big emphasis on body weight which is unfortunate. Very accessible and easy to reach. "
"Marci has very high expectations of her athletes, and can be harsh on coxswains. She does pick favorites on the team, and it can be hard to tell if she likes you otherwise, but that's just because she's an intense coach. She doesn't care about weight at all, which is reassuring."
"Coach is very motivated but is not great at communication. He has been putting a lot of effort and is always putting in extra time to make the team even better."
"He's a very straightforward coach and can sometimes be intimidating but he gives out what you put in. He's there to win games and wants you to be too. "
"He has known the sport for some time but is not particularly motivating and can sometimes lose his emotions at pratice. I wouldn't consider him someone myself and probably others on the tean look up to. Practices are not well organized. "
"Brian really does make an effort to get to know his athletes. However, he is trying to elevate the program to be a major D1 swim school, so he really asks the team to put swimming on an equal pedestal as school. He also does not encourage internships/study abroad. "
"Great playing for her. Very intense and strives for greatness out of all of her players. Very knowledgeable about the game. Could be more approachable/ less intimidating at times."
"The comments about our past coach are not a good representation of our new AMAZING coach. I didn't realize how college athletics and player/ coach relationship should be until Sarah became our head coach. She is easy to connect with and as a player, really want to make her proud. What Sarah lacks coaching, our assents balance out. A great team!"
"Barry has a passion for the sport and wants his teams to succeed in every aspect. However, he is not afraid to tell it like it is. He is very honest and direct with his feedback which helps to improve your game skills, but can also make him feel very distant in non-competition settings."
"I feel extremely lucky to have had Sarah as my coach. She pushed us to be better, every single day. She expects a lot from her players, but nothing that she doesn't already expect from herself. Sarah is knowledgeable, competitive and honest with her players; I wouldn't have become the player or person I am today without her guidance and ability. "
"Sarah completely turned the program around by instilling a competitive drive and unmatched work ethic in the team from day one. She is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the game, but she also strives to build relationships with her players that transcend the soccer field. Sarah is an amazing coach! And an even better person! "
"Sarah is 100% invested in her players and GW. She knows the game and what it takes to be competitive and successful. Sarah's ability to balance being intense and fair sets her apart from many other D1 coaches. She's a genuine person and incredible mentor for her players, both on and off the field."
"Sarah turned our program around when she came. Took the time to get to know her players and found a way to connect them all. She is always willing to take time to talk to her players about things off the field and is a great role model on and off the field. Very knowledgeable and motivational and one of the best people I know. "
"Sarah is incredibly knowledgeable, clear, direct, and fair. She has completely changed the program with high standards and consistency. She practices what she preaches, knows who she is, and is a reliable, strong, good person who cares about her players. Great, great coach. "
"Sarah is a coach that is constantly striving to be the best coach she can be, watching video, planning sessions, getting to know her players - I have not known a coach to care that much about her players. She wants to play quality soccer and strives to move the ball, create good chances and keep possession. Her passion for the game is unmatched. "
"James is an exceptional leader, dedicated to achieving success "the right way". I admire his commitment to developing good people for life, not just great athletes for 4 years. Most of all, he is an inspiring coach. He embraces constructive criticism about his own leadership and minces no words doing the same with his athletes. "
"Coach Weir is absolutely awesome. Hes got some quirks and we are slowly teaching him how to operate/use his cell phone haha but you learn to love him. He gives every athlete on the team the attention they need. He never puts winning above personal health but knows how to push and motivate you where needed. "
"There is no one better than her in the business, or in life. She is exactly who everyone should want to play for and exactly the type of coach parents should want for their kids. I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to play for this amazing woman!"
"Will push you to limits so if you aren't tough, you will hate the process, but if you rise to the occasion and see that in the end it's to benefit you and the team. It's also really great training for the real world, even though in the moment you can't see that. Thankful for her"
"He totally sold me (and plenty of othere athletes) during my recruiting process and during my freshman year I thought he was amazing until half way through my freshman year. I even ignored advice from older players on the team at first, but then came to realize everything they said was 100% true. Stay away and don't fall for his sales pitches, promises, and overall BS"
"Although not everyone will agree with my rating, I really got along with Coach Ritchie and think that he is a good guy. I was defintiely one of his "favorites" though"
"I honestly think some of the positive reviews on here are fake, as evidenced by the fact that they didn't write anything. Eric comes across nice when you meet him, but it's a bait and switch. Once you're on his team, he will be manipulative and at times emotionally abusive. Because of him, I wish I never rowed"
"Mo has her ups and downs with a lot of players. She is a very intense coach and likes to play a lot of mind games. She will push and mentally and physically to a breaking point to see if you are strong enough for her program. You have to be a very strong and dedicated player to play for a coach like Mo."
"During recruiting, Eric is such a nice guy. Freshmen year was fine, but it went downhill from there. The team got worse each year, loads of drama, and practices were easier than high school teams. By the end, there was so much team fighting led by Eric that I couldn't wait to graduate. If I could do over, I would stay away from Eric (though GW was great)."
"Eric is a nice guy. Once you get to know him, though, he's like a used car salesmen. I think he truly believes in his "product" but ultimately he's pretty shady. Also, this program is basically walk-ons only. He can't take decent high schoolers and make them fast. So if you are competitive and want to win, go somewhere else. GW has one of the worst rowing programs in the country and I wish I would have rowed somewhere else"
"I don't deny that some girls really like Eric. I did too my freshmen year--I went in optimistic and ready to win A10's. Unfortunately over time, if you disagree with anything Eric/the team does or he doesn't adopt you as a favorite (which is not based on performance) then you are screwed the rest of your career. It's true he kicked off some of my teammates and lied about what happened (saying they quit). It ended up being toxic and I really resent the time I spent on his team even."
"Lacks experience & cannot relate to the recruiting process or a high level of training. He lies to you - what races we'd attend, how fast he could make you, the team's realistic goals, training plan difficulty. Drama queen. Emotionally abusive. If you want to hate rowing & not go fast, he's your guy. He cannot make a fast girl faster. HS coach & training was better. GW has the talent but he gets in the way"
"Multiple rowers on the team during my time voiced frustration with the recruiting process, having been lied to about 5k and 2k times of the team, races we would be attending and the overall quality of training sessions. Practices are unorganized and there is no real direction of training (I cannot think of any time where we did more than 15 minutes of steady state). Not to mention that Eric kicked off multiple team members due to differences in opinion, including taking away scholarships."
"Eric creates a family like atmosphere within the team on GW women's rowing team which leaves everyone on the team wanting to improve not only for themselves but also for the better of the team, which is all you could ask for in a D1 program like GW. Eric keeps it difficult and keeps it legit while also keeping his relationship with his athletes light and comical- making him more approachable and understandable. A perfect mix."
"He is very knowledgable of the sport and continues to learn as much as he can to stay current and innovative so we can continue to improve. He is a passionate, energetic, and compassionate coach who wants the best for his swimmers in and out of the pool."
"He is new to the head coaching gig, so he tries to do a lot of things but doesn't really follow through on all of them. He talks a big game but doesn't always get things done and he is very bad at communicating with the team and with the team captains."
"I would not recommend anyone to play for him. He puts his energy in all the wrong aspects of the team and the program, making it very difficult to succeed as a single player and as a team."
"Mo is extremely dedicated to her team. She sacrifices a lot to be a coach and is open to constructive criticism from the players during player/ coaches meetings. While on her team you will be pushed physically and mentally, but it is nothing that you can't handle. I think it benefits players to be stronger in the game and in real life situations."
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