As the final whistle blows, the scoreboard at the West Ottawa High School soccer stadium favors Grand Haven 2-1. After a hard-fought overtime, a disappointed West Ottawa Soccer team had just ended their 2023 season. It was a clear, sunny day and they had been down 1-0, fought to get it back to 1-1 with a goal from Saunder Sotok, and then West Ottawa gave up a last-minute goal, losing 2-1.

      Yet again, West Ottawa had been knocked out of the 2023 district tournament, which was the final season before the big change in the coaching staff. Coach Hoa Nguyen would step down as head coach opening up the top position in the program.

   West Ottawa is hoping they have the coach who can lead them farther than ever. The West Ottawa Varsity Soccer team has never won a state championship. They have never even gotten all that close. The farthest they have ever gotten is to a regional final, where they lost to East Kentwood 4-0 back in 2010. Since their opening in 1958, they have won only 3 conference championships and 4 district championships, their last being in 2003 and 2010 respectively.

   In order to hopefully improve and get more championships, they brought in Coach Tyler Robinson, former assistant coach of the Hope College Men’s Soccer team, as well as former head coach of both the girls and boys Hamilton High School Soccer teams. “I feel like with 20-some years of experience as far as coaching all different grade levels, boys and girls, including collegiately, experiences I have are hopefully helpful for guys”, said Robinson.

   The West Ottawa team just finished up their first season with Robinson as head coach, going a disappointing 7-7-4. Hopes were up this year for a possible district championship, however, they once again lost to Grand Haven, one of their rivals, 1-0 in the district semifinals, on a goal scored early in the first half. The seniors were heartbroken, as most of them would never play soccer again. West Ottawa is only graduating 5 players from this past season, however, allowing for lots of returning talent and experience for next year. They will have 20 returning players from varsity, assuming everyone returns, giving hope for a much better season. Some current players have also said that many schools in the OK Red, the conference that West Ottawa plays in, had lots of seniors this past year, which could end up making a difference for West Ottawa in the coming season.

   Bringing in Robinson gives people high hopes for the future of West Ottawa soccer. One of his main focuses when he first came into the program was to ‘win at everything’. “The win-at-everything mentality is the fact that we want our guys, young and old, to just be well-rounded individuals so they’re not just narrowly focused on winning on the soccer field. We all want to win on the soccer field, right, but what are we going to remember the most, and how are we going to be the most impactful as human beings and to do your best in all facets. In the hallways, in the classroom, at home, in the locker room with your teammates, etc. And so it’s not just winning on the pitch, which we all want to do, it’s carry those good habits everywhere you go 24/7, not just during the season, but 365 days in a year. Nobody is ever going to be perfect, but that’s what we can kind of strive towards”, Robinson said. This gives a new perspective to the players that it is obvious to have the goal to win on the field, but winning in the classroom, relationships, and being good, and overall better humans is bigger than that. Soph. Midfielder Zephyrence Underwood said, “He inspired me to win at everything, whether that is school, relationships, or soccer. He also taught me how to be respectful to players, coaches, and referees in the OK Red”.

   According to some of the players, he also implemented stricter grade requirements in order to play, reiterating his win-at-everything mentality, in this case, in the classroom. The school requirement was no more than 2 Fs, however, Robinson required players to be passing all of their classes, making them want and need to keep their grades up and “win” in the classroom.

   Robinson also teaches English at West Ottawa. If he hears about any misbehavior in the hallways or around the school, he will restrict players’ game time, as they weren’t “winning” in the hallways.

   Another aspect Robinson focuses on is changing and influencing the team culture on and off the field. Soph. Midfielder Anders Traver said, “Coach Robinson, I think, he has given everybody more hope that we can be more successful which has caused people to really buy into the team and program more than ever before. He has also been a good motivator for the team, improving team chemistry and culture”. Robinson implemented this in many ways including team meals before every game in his classroom. One or two families would bring in food and drinks at 3 pm each day that they had a game. They would, of course, eat and drink but also talk about tactics, strategies, who would be starting that day, and sometimes watch film. Jr. Midfielder Nathan Ward also had high praise for Robinson and the good team culture he brings to the team. “Coach brought us together on and off the field. For example, we did community service, which created great chemistry within our team”. It is clear that Tyler Robinson is really important to this program.

   Many also think that Robinson will be a good coach for many years to come and could be a big part of the future of the program. Jr. Nathan Ward said, “I think for future years, he is cultivating the program through middle school and elementary through camps so I think, as a whole structure, West Ottawa Soccer is growing together. In general, I think we will be better developed because of Tyler Robinson”. Robinson hosted some West Ottawa Soccer camps in the summer, with a session for elementary school players, one for middle school players, and one for high school players. Some of the high school players would help coach the other camps, which brings all levels of the program together, growing the program together and improving the overall experience and quality of the entire program.

   Overall, Tyler Robinson is not just a coach. He’s not just a teacher. He is a cultivator. He is someone who is trying to grow himself and everyone around him into better people, whether that is on the field or in the classroom; something the West Ottawa Soccer Program desperately needed.