ShacksTribe16

3 kids, 3 pups, Mom, Wife, Current and PROUD Tribe Coach. Lover of futbol (it's life) and learning (WM '88, CMU '95). CMU and Princeton U Coach (1990-2015).

[William & Mary Tribe Women's Soccer @WMTribeWSOC]

Coach Lycan will be #FindingOurTribe at the @GAcademyLeague Playoffs & Showcase in Cali!

[ShacksTribe16 @ShacksTribe16]

Me toooo

[William & Mary Tribe Women's Soccer @WMTribeWSOC]

Excited for the 2028 recruiting chapter to begin!

[Marsha Lycan @mlycan12]

Great 2 Days at @ECNLgirls NC!

Post Showcase Review:

FIELDS: B+
Some better than others but most in solid shape

WEATHER: A+
Yay

QUALITY OF TEAMS: A
Saw some great soccer 🤩

NSG: B-
I only saw first half and it started with a bang but then was a bit disjointed. It’s hard with all strangers and the girls are physically and mentally tired this time of yr

COACH TENT/SNACKS: C-
The only thing keeping from a D was hot coffee. Salads ran out immediately and the pretend tent at the back fields was a tease.

BATHROOMS: an unusual A!
Never any lines and abundant and surprisingly unobjectionable porta potty’s!

NEW SIDELINE FRIENDS: A++
Shout out @OSUCoachWalker and @UtahWSoccer Emma Greenwood for some awesome conversations

You know you’re in the right place when you leave these showcases not exhausted but reenergized and recommitted and super excited about June 15 starting our 2028 Chapter. 💚
#FeelLucky #Gratitude #TheBeautifulGame #WeGetTo @ShacksTribe16 @WMTribeWSOC

[Marsha Lycan @mlycan12]

This is MASSIVE news. But only on Men’s side. Women to follow??

[ShacksTribe16 @ShacksTribe16]

To the 3 that made me a mom!!! Eternally grateful. Happy Mother's Day, especially to all my coaching moms!!! #mothersday #moms

[ShacksTribe16 @ShacksTribe16]

@mlycan12 Amen

[ShacksTribe16 @ShacksTribe16]

As a current coach, former student-athlete, parent of two student-athletes, and part of a family with eight proud William & Mary grads…this place has shaped our lives in ways that are hard to put into words.

The opportunities, the people, the growth...it’s all real, and it lasts.

We are beyond grateful for what this university has given our family, and proud to give back today so the next generation can have that same experience. I also am immensely proud of the government department! Even though I am now the Tribe's soccer coach at William & Mary, I am forever grateful for my government degree and all the professors who were so passionate about teaching! Please consider giving today!

#OneTribeOneDay @wmtribewsoc @WMAlumni @williamandmary @TribeAthletics https://t.co/kB8qQxOtM9

[ShacksTribe16 @ShacksTribe16]

Had a wonderful time at Virginia Development Academy! @vdasoccer @WMTribeWSOC

[ShacksTribe16 @ShacksTribe16]

One of my mentors!!!

[FOX Soccer @FOXSoccer]

“We still in the United States need to make sure that we are going into all neighborhoods… Some of these kids are not the ones on the bigger club teams.”

Bob Bradley breaks down how the USMNT can develop star players throughout the country 🇺🇲

[USMNT Only @usmntonly]

“We’re not developing players like the rest of the world do. The bigger problem: youth soccer in this country is a disaster."

Landon Donovan shares his thoughts on the current state of soccer in the United States 🇺🇸⚽️

(via @RichEisenShow)

[Marsha Lycan @mlycan12]

BRAVO to the National Association of Basketball Coaches for speaking out on this! Every cohort of College Coaches should be asking for a seat at the table before those in the ivory tower create absolute chaos for a second time. Soccer in particular because we have the most disproportionate roster restrictions of all

[ShacksTribe16 @ShacksTribe16]

Heartbreaking....

[Marsha Lycan @mlycan12]

Please tell me this isn’t true….

[Marsha Lycan @mlycan12]

We recruit families. Our incoming class of 26 are in town this weekend and we encourage parents to come too. They hardly see their kids who are too busy running around and talking nonstop as they become besties already. But the parents hang with each other too. They already have a text group, they discover they have mutual connections—they made a dinner reservation together and talked and laughed for 4.5 hours. They were planning their collective roadtrips for the fall. They will become part of our Tribe family. The next phase is just as exciting for them, especially in a place like Williamsburg. Parents matter. As I was raising my own kids in a small town in Maine, my best friends seemed to mostly be parents of my kids’ friends. It was then I realized cool parents raise cool kids.

Our parents understand from day 1 that all communication on the soccer front will be with their daughters and they all respect those boundaries. So why would we be so concerned with their personalities? It’s because they have huge influence and control over their child’s growth and development in college—and ultimately their ability to reach their potential. We don’t have the time or bandwidth to battle external forces. It helps if everyone’s flying in the same direction. Parents who are positive influences and supportive of the journey enhance the culture.

#WelcomeToTheTribe #OneTribeOneFamily
#CultureMatters
@WMTribeWSOC

[ShacksTribe16 @ShacksTribe16]

Doing this coaching thing for 32 years, there is nothing more important than finding the right fit.

[Marsha Lycan @mlycan12]

True Recruiting Story, Episode 1:
A few years ago, we hosted one of our top recruits to an ID clinic. She was a top level player, but more than that a perfect fit for our school and program and culture, and we were making a huge offer. We felt it, she felt it, her mom felt it. Power 4 talent, but academic focused, wanted a smaller school feel and a chance to really get to know professors. We never pressure anyone to commit because we only want those players who 100% want to be here. It's part of what makes our culture so good. So they left saying she just wanted to go on her P4 visit for comparison. She called the next week and said P4 school told her she had to make a decision before she got on the plane so she committed--to a school and program very opposite of ours. Too bad they didn't have access to the portal like us which showed this particular P4 school had 8 players go into the portal that year. It hurt my heart because I knew it was such a huge mistake, but in our world, professionalism prevails so we say best of luck and move on. But, what we say to ourselves is "see you in the portal" and of course that became the case after 1 semester, because we have a good read on people and also know the inside scoop to a lot of programs....we knew it was the WORST fit for this kid. And, if we knew it, you can't tell me the parents and the kid didn't know it, if they are being honest with themselves. But at that point, we had moved on so she ended up at school #2 from the portal.

The moral of True Recruiting Story is: think long and hard. Don't get caught up in labels and be true to yourself. In a few short years, it will be over and no one will care where you went to school or who you played for. The only thing that matters is your happiness and future, and this decision will shape all of that immensely. #RecruitingStories #CollegeSoccer @WMTribeWSOC

[Tracy Smith @TracyJSmith13]

Body Language is important. Here’s why . . .

#baseball #michigan #tips #college #bodylanguage

[Marsha Lycan @mlycan12]

But we already knew that….😎

[Marsha Lycan @mlycan12]

Excited for this opportunity to watch top @GAcademyLeague talent vs international teams at IMG!

@WMTribeWSOC @ShacksTribe16

[ShacksTribe16 @ShacksTribe16]

It's a life decision, not just a soccer one! #findyourfit

[Marsha Lycan @mlycan12]

The different perspectives I heard at the Phoenix Showcase were interesting. When discussing 2028s, I heard a lot of “well she’s still so young” from club coaches… yet some of these same players will be committing in a few weeks to where they’ll (possibly) be walking across the stage in 2032.

Kinda crazy when you think about it.
And it helps explain why the portal is overflowing—bad, uninformed, or rushed decisions about one of the biggest life-shaping experiences you’ll have.

It would be so much better if “labels” weren’t driving so much of this.

Everyone—clubs, players, parents—loves the shiny D1 or P4 commit post.
But we never see the 1,000+ posts each year that say: “Bella just entered the portal and regrets her decision…”

“I want to play D1” — without regard to all the amazing D3 schools and programs.

“I want to play Power 4” — without being able to name the all the conferences or schools.

The best advice I can give: DO YOUR HOMEWORK.

You have more access than ever. You can become a private investigator with the resources at your fingertips.

Consistent roster turnover? That’s a major yellow flag—and it doesn’t take much digging to find it.

Use your network. Coaches, friends, clubs… you’re often just a few connections away from someone who knows the real story behind a program.

Forget the labels. Follow your fit.
There are plenty of D1 players who choose D3 because they fall in love with the school and experience.
Just like there are plenty of slam-dunk P4s who choose great mid-majors—we have more than our fair share.

At the end of the day, no one cares where you went to school as much as you think they will.

But you’ll care a lot if you chose for the wrong reasons.

#CollegeSoccer #ResistTheLabels @wmtribewsoc

[ShacksTribe16 @ShacksTribe16]

Just call me grace!

[Marsha Lycan @mlycan12]

Not us making a big scene in airport with post showcase war room going on and brochures spewing everywhere 😅

#SeeYaPhoenix #TribeOut #RecruitingProblems #FindingOurTribe @ShacksTribe16 @WMTribeWSOC @ECNLgirls

[Marsha Lycan @mlycan12]

Shout out @labreakersfc team manager for pitching me on the 2010 team like she was trying to sell her 2023 Volvo! For real, she’s a great advocate for your team, and in this extremely competitive recruiting climate you need every advantage you can get —she goes the extra mile 🤩

#EveryBitHelps #BeYourBestAdvocate
@WMTribeWSOC