Podcast: Suffield Academy’s Rick Warren on strong start, NEPSAC committee

Suffield Academy boys head coach Rick Warren joined 'The Goal.' (Courtesy photo)

The latest guest on New England Soccer Journal’s “The Goal” podcast is Suffield Academy boys head coach Rick Warren.

The longtime Suffield coach has over 100 career wins with the program. He has the team playing great soccer this fall, as SA owns a record of 6-0-1 and is playing its way into the discussion for a NEPSAC Class B playoff spot. Suffield allowed just three goals in its first seven games.

A native of Jamaica, Warren is also the current President of the NEPSAC Boys Soccer Committee.

Warren joined host Matt Langone to discuss how Suffield has found so much success this fall, and his role as NEPSAC Boys Soccer Committee President.

The full podcast can be accessed below and is available on all major platforms. If you enjoy it, please leave a rating and a review.

Here are some highlights from our discussion with Warren.

On if he thinks Suffield has taken teams by surprise this season:

Warren: “I couldn’t tell you. I mean, we got beat up the past three years — we were four-and-whatever, four wins two years ago, four wins last year — but I was focusing on how we reduce our goals-against and how well we move the ball as a team, and how well we were getting better defensively — that’s what our focus was.”

On what it’s like to coach his son, Class of 2026 standout, Recardo Warren:

Warren: “It’s funny, because I don’t really think of him as my son when he’s out there. He’s just another player and when he messes up, I give him that benefit of the doubt that you mess up once, but let’s fix it the next time. He does it two or three times, it’s time to yank him out of the game and put somebody else in there, and then I’ll have my assistant talk to him because my assistant is seeing exactly what the problem is as well.”

On playing a tough schedule in the second half of the season:

Warren: “I think that the boys take it one day at a time with me, and we go through what we have to do. We got a lot to work on today. That’s what the key is. We got to work on those things.”

On his role as the NEPSAC Boys Soccer Committee President:

Warren: “I work really closely with the (athletic directors) to make sure we’re following prep school rules and make sure that the rules are followed, and then the executive body, the ADs, they will make final calls on things. I just send the email out based on the final calls of situations. And that’s my job. I’m not the end-all be-all. … I’m basically the guy who is explaining the law to you and the right interpretation of the law.”

“The Goal” podcast is brought to you by the New England Revolution.

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