Women’s soccer head coach David Suvak received a National A-Senior License from US Soccer on Oct. 21, becoming the only Division III coach to be awarded the certification in 2019, Emerson Athletics announced. 

Suvak applied for this license in 2018, and US Soccer accepted the applications of 36 coaches from around the country. The certification puts Suvak one level below the qualifications needed to coach professional soccer. 

According to US Soccer, the program consists of three on-site meetings and three development periods where the coaches complete coursework. The final step in the process is an evaluation completed at the candidate’s home site. 

Suvak received the license after completing the assignments and attending two meetings at the US Soccer Headquarters in Kansas City and one at IMG Academy in Florida. 

Through this program, Suvak said his interactions with other coaches helped him improve as a recruiter. 

“I was exposed to many Division I and MLS coaches, and I think I have a slightly different view of how we can recruit,” Suvak said in an interview. 

Suvak said he also improved his ability to prepare his team in addition to making adjustments to his recruiting style. 

“Some of the things I have learned over the past ten months is how to better prepare the information that we share with the players, how we review those opponents, and what kind of information that we give the players to better prepare them to play,” Suvak said. 

Suvak said he hopes this extra level of preparation will help make the team more technically solid. While Suvak said he is putting a lot of emphasis on improving the team’s performance on the field, he said he also learned how to improve off the field. 

“I also was working on building relationships, and how important that is with not only the players, but the coaching staff and other people on campus as well,” Suvak said. 

The women’s soccer team is 10-4-1 this season under Suvak’s leadership, which puts them one win away from reaching the win total of the 2018 team that reached the semi-finals of the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference tournament. 

After receiving this license, Suvak said he is not done improving as a coach. 

“I’ll be looking for something that’s going to be improving me in some way, whether it be on the field or in the classroom,” Suvak said. “Something that will help improve me personally.”