Lasell University

"Wow! Whoever shared below sounds like someone who was bitter about playing time and does not believe in Vito’s team culture he has preached for over 15 years. Anyone that actually knows Vito as a coach and person knows the sacrifice and time he puts in to the Lasell program. He is the only part time coach in the league and due to his commitment to his players and this program Lasell has been to the semi finals or finals nearly every year he has been in charge. Vito is the core of the Lasell Women’s soccer team, and I can promise you he is not taking the giant chunks of time away from his family for the paycheck - but because he loves the program and loves being there to support his players. You can ask any number of the alumni and they would all tell you they know Vito would throw himself in front of an 18 wheeler for any one of his players, regardless if they are #1 or #30 in his lineup. Saying that he doesn’t foster a cohesive team environment could not be farther from the truth, he cares about all of his players on and off the field from academics, mental health, family scenarios etc and gives everyone a chance. I have seen him work with every individual player and try to improve them - he is always open to meeting with players 1:1 and offering them feedback on what they need to work on. He and the coaching staff are always happy to work on these skills with the player as well at practice or even offer to come early/stay late, but at the end of the day it is ultimately on the player to put in the hard work to make the improvement (which often seems to be a lost concept these days). He is extremely knowledgeable about the game, and I have seen him adjust formations and players on the fly to match and beat the other team. Not sure how he would be so successful if he didn’t know what he was doing! On campus I always felt safe because I knew I had the team and Vito as my second family and I would do my 4 years over every time. There’s a reason he gets invited to nearly every alumni’s wedding, and it’s because the relationship fostered with Vito over 4 years and beyond is a special one, and one I will always treasure. "

"Coach LaFrancesca fosters a hostile playing environment where injuries are not taken seriously and a hierarchy between classes demolishes any chance of cohesiveness. If you’re not a starter you won’t play and you won’t get a chance to. Bench players practice solely as the opposing team in up coming matches. He does nothing to develop players to get them to his preferred level of skill suitable for game play. He is notoriously bad at choosing assistant coaches and only knows how to compare players to those he’s had in the past. He destroys any sense of confidence in his players who don’t start. As for the starting XI, they are treated respectfully, encouraged, and developed. Unless your the exact player he’s looking for I would play elsewhere. His knowledge of the game is also lacking. He has no collegiate experience himself, and has been unable to adjust his coaching techniques to beat league teams Don’t be fooled by his past accomplishments or the players he’s taken under his wing. More likely than not you won’t be lucky enough to be one of them and you’ll lose your love for the sport."

"Somehow motivates his athletes to do well by running pretty poor practices, rest of the staff was awesome though. Learned a lot from them. "

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