By: Hayden Carter
Staff Writer
After competing for five seasons on the California State University, Bakersfield men’s soccer team, Scott Luedtke is now an assistant coach for the same team he spent half a decade with.
A year after earning the 2013 Western Athletic Conference men’s soccer Defensive Player of the Year Award, Luedtke has become an assistant coach for the CSUB men’s soccer team.
“It’s been fun, it’s a learning curve going from playing and just jumping right into coaching, but [Coach] Richie and [Coach] Gerry [Cleary] have helped me out along the way,” said Luedtke about his experience as a coach at CSUB. “It’s just a transitional period, for sure.”
Despite the huge transitional period the men’s soccer program experienced with the coaching staff turnover over the offseason, Luedtke has made Head Coach Richie Grant’s job a lot easier.
“Scott’s role is really important because he’s connected to the players, he knows what it’s like to be an athlete here and he’s competed all four years at the Division I level,” said Coach Grant about what Luedtke offers as a coach. “He really knows what the players need.”
In his athletic career at CSUB, Luedtke appeared in over 60 matches from 2010-2013. Luedtke also helped lead the ‘Runners to their first and only NCAA Division I Tournament berth in 2011.
Although his athletic career as a soccer player is over, he still has an impact on the field as a coach.
“[Luedtke] was always a vocal leader on the field, so I think that’s helped him make the switch to a coach,” said redshirt-senior defender James Garces. “He’s always been a passionate person in whatever he does, so I think this will help him with coaching.”
Luedtke comes from Dallas, TX and has desired to become a soccer coach since he arrived at CSUB.
“[Coaching] is something I’ve wanted to get into since I’ve started college,” said Luedtke on his coaching aspirations.
Because Luedtke is coaching just one year after graduating, he is coaching players that he played with for multiple years as a student-athlete.
“In all honesty, the guys have actually been pretty cool about it. I think the guys really respect me, what I know about the game and what I can help them with.,” Coach Luedtke said on coaching players he competed with as a student-athlete. “The guys have been pretty good to me.”
“[The players] have responded really well to him because he’s got big time energy and I think what they like most about him is that they know he’s speaking from experience as a former player,” said Coach Grant on the players’ response to Coach Luedtke’s coaching role. “I think there’s no doubt that the players appreciate the role that he plays.”
“[Luedtke] was like a coach on the field last year with his leadership role, so not much has changed,” said Garces on being coached by a former teammate.
Even in his first year of coaching the sport he played his whole, Luedtke has already learned a lot simply by observing the game.
“The game is so much easier than you actually think it is,” said Luedtke on what he has learned in his first year of coaching. “When you’re on the field, of course, the pace of the game really gets to you, but when you watch from afar, you see how simple everything can be.”
Although Coach Luedtke has learned a lot in his first year of coaching, he still has much to learn about being a better coach.
“[Coach Luedtke] needs to get the experience of being around as a coach,” said Coach Grant. “Sometimes the hardest part is when you’re fresh out of playing. It can be challenging and frustrating because you still have playing in your blood.”
It is work in progress, but the future looks bright for Scott Luedtke as a soccer coach. “Any top coach needs to be humble and I think [Coach Luedtke] has that quality,” said Coach Grant on Luedtke’s future as a soccer coach. “Scott’s going to be a good coach.”