"Really cares about softball and the team. Runs very intentional practices and coaches every player. Is very family oriented and considers the players and their family a huge part of the program which translates to the closeness of the team. Carries a small roster and is very intentional about the type of athletes she recruits. Is very proud to be a coach and apart of the St. Louis community. Would consider her coaching style old school."
"Bad coach and bad human. He took a sport I loved and made it feel like a chore. Treated me like a lesser person for being a walk on and left some permanent emotional scars. Stay far away from Jon Bell."
"While this coach is knowledgeable about the game and has produced wins, the internal culture of the program was deeply problematic. Nepotism and favoritism undermined team culture, destroying trust and tearing the locker room dynamic apart. Coaching decisions were often driven by emotion rather than consistency or fairness, and close personal relationships with her daughter the team influenced how players were treated.
There was an excessive focus on locker-room dynamics rather than player development, which led to players feeling monitored instead of supported. Rather than fostering unity, the environment became divisive, with players being pitted against one another. Although the coach frequently portrayed herself as caring and player-focused, many players felt that support was conditional and not genuine.
Sportsmanship after losses was also a concern, as interactions with opposing teams and coaches were not consistently professional. Additionally, the program suffered from constant staff turnover—nearly every season involved members of the coaching staff leaving—making it difficult to build stability or trust.
Do not let the win–loss record be misleading. Success on paper does not excuse a toxic environment or justify practices that harm players’ well-being and development off the court."
"Horrible recruiter. As a Jesuit institution expounding values such as cura personalis and magis- he is the opposite. He leads on youth, tells them to call him, schedules calls and does not answer or return calls when he says he will. There are many wonderful ethical coach/recruiters and he is just not it "
"Coach Kalish as well as his staff are some of the most political and arrogant coaches you will see. I get it that all coaches have favorites and play politics at some point, but they carry it to an extreme. It is also probably difficult when a lot of his friends have kids that he feels like he has to pick up. Some of the kids deserve it. Some absolutely do not. Every person I have talked to tells me how he puts on this image of being so caring and nice is a complete front. The experience some of the people I have talked to who had kids that played for him was nothing but negative. Their camps are a complete money grab and it is sad how they act like they are so interested in a kid to get them to keep coming back knowing they don't stand a chance."
"Having interacted with Coach Kalish in the past it appeared on the surface to be a positive experience. I was warned by several people that he puts on a great act and that he is not a good coach, and players do not like playing for him. I did not want to believe it and unfortunately I had to experience exactly what I was warned about. I would highly recommend you do not waste your time and money on his camps. He and his staff are too arrogant to see how much respect they continue to lose."
"Coach Kalish and his staff play games with athletes they have no intention of considering. He is notorious for using kids to make money at his camps. Even referees I have spoken to say a lot of his players do not like him. He puts up an image that is completely different when you get to know him. He thinks sucking up to St. Louis City SC and Jim Kavanaugh as well as others at WWT will get him somewhere. Based on my interactions as well as others who have played for him, he plays way too many games with young players who don’t have an in with the St. Louis soccer politics. He is a horrible example of what a true coach should be.
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"Lied to Athlete. Said he never met her when in fact he did a two hour visit with her. Months later said he never met her. Acted like he was too good to talk to a 5:10 miler female who would have been one of top runners at this mediocre program. Offered her zero money. "
"This coach is not good at his job. Players be careful before coming here. There is zero care about athletes as people from the coach. There is a reason the turnover is so high."
"Recruits-do your homework before considering this program. Lots of player turnover each year. Current coaching staff is a very one size fits all approach and still using 1980's methods. When things go south, this staff puts all blame on players. Not invested in players at all."
"Awesome Coach! He isn't too intense and likes to have fun with practice. Definitely more motivated on best times than "winning" but just as excited when the team wins. Always has a cheerful newsletter and a smile on deck."
"Super intelligent. Builds players on and off the court to be great people and volleyball players. Holds his athletes to a high standard. Cares about his players and is always respectful."
"He has a positive attitude about his players and he genuinely wants to see them succeed on the court and in the classroom. However he has not even the slightest idea what he's doing, fears any confrontation, and is completely reliant on student-athletes and assistant coaches to do work for him. Practices are only organized to the extent that we have tennis balls available and he doesn't offer any coaching in practice or during competition."
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