University of Californi (Santa Cruz)

"This coach is not a very caring person. One girl that left, who was the number one player was dogged at the beginning of season 24-25 and no one on the team says her name this season. Last season she was the star and the coach made some players apologize to her daily just to humiliate one specific player. They pretend that that season never happened. The team leaders and favorites know their roles and it’s to do whatever the coach needs them to do to get rid of players quietly."

"I was a player last year for Coach Gabby and I’m no longer on the team or at the school..I was recruited by Gabby and was promised that I would play over one of the new recruits.I did play over her and my stats were great. But she was also promised that she would play because of her talent on the court but she wasn’t the favorite I was. That coach made that player bow down to me and I benefitted until o didn’t. The layer she liked over me got in and I became mud, a bottom feeder and she spread that I was the worst player that ever played at UCSC. She Megan ignoring me and taunting me and the rest of the team (seniors juniors and sophomores) joined in making me the scapegoat and the clown. The culture is one that Coach Gabby sets the stage and allow her favorite players to “know what to do: they smear and laugh at you, talk about you behind and in front of your face. They say things like” why is she on the court”. She has private meeting with her corporate players and they decide and vote who will play and who will not. The favorites and leaders on the team have bragged about “how they know how to get rid of a player if they don’t like them”. That is the honest truth. Gabby will destroy your numbers your stats and no one will even know you play other than the roster. She will then start in on your confidence and emotions. She will single you out during private meetings and in practice and will ridicule you in front of team. No one will come to your rescue because they want to stay in favor or get in favor.i did it and thought i would continue to be a favor but I got the “banishment” treatment and left. Worse decision was to come and play for her and UCSC. So unlike me and the others that were recruited with me last season, they didn’t know what they were signing up for but I hope someone sees this review and think twice or at least they will k know what they are walking into. You athletic career will soar if you are a favorite and will suffer if you’re not. You will fade into oblivion off the court and suffer the most terrible treatment that I thought colleges didn’t allow anymore. There are good players on the sidelines that have maybe better talent than those who are starting lineup but no one will know as long as she’s the coach and she knows it..She’s the power and the king and if you say anything you will be punished until you quietly walk away which is how she does it. No paperwork, no proof. She’s still there and the team and program can compete on a much higher level with the right coach and change in culture. Maybe even competed more against D2s or D1s. The talent is there."

"I am a student too and I agree with the review about stats. All this coach cares about are the stats for her favorite players. If you outplay on of them or your stats are catching up, you will never see the court again! She sits there and takes her on stats in real time and then call plays accordingly. Then when there’s an opponent that we can easily beat, she doesn’t take the opportunity to play her none start g players to get some game time or experience. She won’t even rotate us so we can display our skills and get experience. She will continue to play her starters who are of course her favorites so they can get their stats up to make them look better than they are. Then she uses the stats the justify not playing you because your stats are nil to none. It’s very disappointing and unbelievable. The experience has been a let down for the program and quite unfair. Let’s compete for those positions!"

"Coach Gabby is not respectful to her players. She’s a bully to those she does not favor. If you’re actively being recruited please be aware of the on-slaught of great things she will tell you about “her program” and how she wants you to play for her and be ready to play when you get there. This only applies to players who are favorites, not to those who aren’t. The culture is there is two categories, favorite or none favorite. There will be no way to tell which category you are in when she’s recruiting you. Once you commit to the school, get in and play in scrimmages, she will let you know upon the first away game. You will be caught off guard by the decision no matter how good you are or how well you played. The she will fellow up with cruelty and bullying from this point on. She will single you out and harass you until you quit or want to quit. She will beat guy down emotionally and mentally that your performance is affected. It’s very sad and scary and she doesn’t think anything of it. It puts her in a great mood. Girls have quit in the past and especially this 24-25 season. We hope that the powers that be can help make a difference in this program. It can be great. The culture is “just give up,or that’s how she is or no one cares about our program or us and she can do whatever she wants”. "

"Coach Gabby is is not the type of coach that ICSC WomenVB deserves. I am an athlete and prefer to remain anonymous but, I can honestly give an insight to the way things are done. If you outplay her favorites/starters rest assured that you will be taken out of the game and not played again until the stats are greatly more. She actually keeps her own stats during each game and she class plays based on whether or not her favorite players are getting g their numbers in. She’s skews the stats in favor of them then use those same numbers not to play a non favorites in the same position. When we lose a game, she doesn’t meet with her starters or blame them. Instead she blames her none starters/none favored for the loss. We only want to be competitive and use our skill set to win games."

"All the positive choices in the rating does not apply to this coach. UCSC athletic program states that coaches should be respectful, motivational and maintain student integrity. This coach will get you along in meetings before practice or before a game and tell you how horrible you play (but by all accounts only to players she doesn’t favor and especially when that player out plays her favorite player in that specific position). She’s a bully and players don’t know what to do. Some parents are concerned but don’t know how to help their student navigate this mistreatment their student athlete. Hopefully the college looks into this before anymore unsuspecting student is recruited by this coach and her assistant coach who goes along with her behavior."

"Unfortunately this coach is not who she portrays herself to be. She tried to intimidate her non favorite players (which is over half of team players) and try to get them to take individual blame for her decisions and losses. She has private meeting with team members and loses her temper. And is threatening. (Players seem to have NO rights)When another coach is present in the meeting, she pretends to be nice but never really interested in you as a player.Many girls want to quit but loved the school and the sport. "

"Not the most honest coach ann fair coach Quite bias and rigid. Does not allow players to play at their strength. If her favorites can’t do something, she limits or retrain others with more talent to do less. It’s almost like a club mentality (favorites over winning). No real training or practicing plays and being competitive. Will recruit you even if you’re not her favorite however, if the person she really wants get in, she’ll ignore you making you quit or quit the team. She does not allow you to challenge for the position, she gives the position to her favorites. Be careful before you chose her and UCSC. Beware: talk to all team members NOT just the ones she put in front of you or introduce you too."

"Yelena is no longer the coach for UCSC. The coach now is Gabriel Houston for the past few years. This coach is very dishonest and manipulative. She has her favorites and totally lie and be dishonest with her players. She does whatever she wants no matter your skill set. She plays her team like its 'club volleyball'. She is very unfair and exclusionary. She says one thing in a meeting then announces something else when it's game time. She states that her team is young and she's trying to recruit experience players. Then she'll recruit from either walk-on or from a club team she knows and the players have played on lower team and ignore more experience players. Treat them like they don't exist, right after she tells them that they will be playing. She is very unfair and I think a little racially bias. The assistant coach, Sam, is on the same wavelength as Gabriel Houston. This coach does what she wants and seem that either the athletic directors might not know what she's doing or why, She plays mind games and a liar. This coach is well liked at the university because of her father's standing but, she is a terrible, dishonest person and horrible coach. Please be careful in accepting a recruiting position at this school from the volleyball coach. It is not going to be like what she says. Other coaches at the school are known to be fantastic. I don't know how she got this position but I do hope someone from the athletic departments sees this and investigate. Maybe meet with the players one on one without the coach because they are walking on egg shells and report on other players for her. She doesn't get to know her players, she gets her information from other players and uses it against them to not let them play or travel. acaShe creates a terrible culture and does not seem to really care about the girls. She's definitely unfair and biased. She will be very vague when you ask her questions and then pretend that the conversation never happened. "

"He is the best coach I have ever had and anyone would be lucky to be his athlete. He coaches out of pure love for the sport, and volunteers for the sole purpose of sharing his passion. "

"Lauren is my least favorite coach I’ve ever had. I’ve played soccer since i was 10 years old and I have never once wanted to quit until I came to college and had Lauren as my coach. she sets impossible expectations for players and when her impossible expectations aren’t met, she benches players. when i made a mistake, she would bench me. her coaching style is terrible. for example: during games she doesn’t coach us at all, not even during half time. she’s quiet most of the game. i had such a negative experience with her and i’m glad she’s no longer a coach at UCSC because i will forever hold a grudge against her for making more than half of my teammates hate the sport they once loved. she’s rude and plays favorites. "

"Coach Nadler is an experienced soccer player, however she lacks empathy and understanding when interacting with players. Many players felt negatively toward soccer as a result of her coaching and did not finish the season with the team. Players were forced to coach themselves at times when Coach Nadler was so frustrated that she walked away from the field and did not continue to coach."

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"Fair and informative"