From Tragedy to Triumph: Joe Bouchelle’s Journey to Coaching

Joseph Bouchelle started playing soccer at just two years old. It was his father that got him into the beautiful game, coaching teams from the high school level all the way up to college, winning a national championship along the way. Due to this, Joe would spend a lot of time around his father’s teams and this is where his love for the game would grow.

He also recalled the fond memories he had of watching Premier League football with his father every single weekend, an interest his dad picked up while studying abroad in England in his early years. He jokingly adds: “it's been tough sometimes” as he supports Arsenal, while his father is a Manchester United fan.

Joe always admired his Dad’s love for soccer and the impact it left on him, stating “that passion, that love for the game just came from him.” Adding that his father’s “example of all that was definitely something that pushed me a little bit”. With that being said, he emphasized the importance of forging his own path, trying to “make everything my own as well.”

Growing up and playing the game he loved, he would then get the chance to continue his soccer career at Southern Virginia University. However, sadly he would get injured in the preseason of his first campaign, stating “my career was done before it started” and “it was hard, you know, kind of realizing that the dreams that I had had as a kid, which could have been realistic, were just gone in a 10-second moment.” Though, having this injury so early into his college career he added, “in some ways that made it harder but in other ways it made it easier.”

Despite the tragedy he faced so early into his career, Joseph turned a negative into a positive, deciding to “make the transition to coaching and really haven't looked back.” Taking a managerial role with the program, he was still able to be around his team and the game that he has dedicated himself to.

Joe in some ways feels grateful for the injury as it gave him the opportunity to coach, which he doesn’t think he “would have found that… if I hadn't gotten injured.” Adding, “I look back and I have no regrets” and that his “heart has been in coaching” ever since.

Fast forwarding to today, Joseph has taken on the role of head coach of the inaugural men’s soccer team at Cerro Coso Community College in Ridgecrest, California. When asked how starting the program has been he stated: “it's been stressful. It's been hectic. It's been fun. It's been emotional. It's been exhausting.” Adding that he gets “more excited every day.”



One of the biggest challenges he has faced is filling out his roster. “Filling a roster really as a first year program” has been tough because “kids want to go to programs that are successful or that have some kind of history and we don't have either of those things.”

At the beginning of the summer, the team had only six athletes, making it hard to run drills with a small number of players.

Now with a more filled out roster, he has encountered roadblocks with scheduling and inconsistency. One of his biggest points of emphasis is ensuring his players get enough sleep and recovery, which can be challenging at times with balancing school and soccer. With all of these obstacles, he notes that his players have made the process smoother, stating: “every single one of these guys wants to get in here, wants to work and wants to succeed.”

This mindset is part of an overall culture that Joseph is establishing at Cerro Coso, one that sets high expectations. As part of those high expectations, Joe envisions a program that becomes successful very quickly, which his players share that same vision. “To be completely frank with you, I haven't had to sell a lot because our visions have all been aligned.”

In addition to having high expectations, Joe encourages competition in everything that his players do, taking inspiration from legendary coach Anson Dorrance. Every passing drill, every shooting drill has become a competition for his team. “Everything we do is a competition”, he continues “It's been really cool to see how quickly we are competitive in a positive way.” Even outside of practice, players are keeping things competitive, seeing who can get a job in town first.

This is all part of Joseph’s plan of making sure all of his players, assistants, and managers will develop and grow. In his own words: “I want everyone to go to a better situation” and get “better opportunities,” becoming the best version of themselves in the process.