Longtime Roseville soccer coach calling it a career

Pablo Gutierrez is Roseville High School soccer. He started the boys soccer program at the high school in 1976 and eight years later in 1983-84, started the girls program. He coached the girls for 30 years before stopping after the 2013 season, and this will be his last year coaching the boys, 50 years after starting. He's the only coach to ever lead the boys soccer program. "I started teaching at Kaseberg Elementary in 1975 and I did soccer tournaments for the sixth-graders," Gutierrez said. "The next thing I know, the school board was pushing for soccer at Roseville High and they wanted me to coach. "Then we started the girls team eight years later. It was nice because the boys played in the fall and the girls played in the spring so I had a nice break in between." What Gutierrez has enjoyed the most is all the success. He's led the boys to three Sac-Joaquin Section championships and the girls to two. He's estimated his team have won more than 800 games, lost about 250 and tied about 115. He said his teams have made the final four 14 times. "What I've enjoyed the most is I've been able to make a competitive team almost every year," Gutierrez said. "Every now and then, you go through two or three years when you're down, and then boom, a good group comes up. We're going through a good cycle right now." Gutierrez was a bright-eyed 25-year-old man when he began coaching at Roseville. Now, the 75-year-old is coaching his last team at the school. A year ago, Roseville won the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III championship. This season's team is 8-3-6 and has another good chance to make a postseason run. "We didn't lose any preseason games," Gutierrez said. "We were waiting for the football players to finish their season and then I incorporated them into the lineup. We lost three one-goal games, very close games, in a row and haven't lost since. I think they've got a pretty good chance in the playoffs. They've got a good attitude." His players love playing for him. "I like his dedication to the sport," said junior captain Jake Berry. "His love and passion for soccer surpasses that of a lot of coaches that I've had. His confidence in our team; he brings us up and morale is high. He's always honest about improving. He wants us to get better. He's not just doing this for fun; he wants to win. He's a great coach." Senior captain Mitchell Lacey added, "Pablo is so passionate and energetic; he brings so much energy to practice. He puts that energy through us and makes us better players, and I just love how dedicated he is." The game hasn't changed much in 50 years, but the players have. "I would say the physical toughness of the players has changed," Gutierrez said. "Back in those days, the players were tougher and they responded well to the physical nature of the game and the parents were the same way. Today, the players are more skilled, but they're missing the physicality." Gutierrez grew up in a small town in Mexico that wasn't big on soccer, but on rodeo instead. When Gutierrez was older, he started a soccer program in the town, just like he helped usher in soccer at Roseville. Gutierrez taught for 19 years at Kaseberg Elementary before moving on to Buljan Middle School and became an assistant principal. "One of the most important things I've ever done was become a teacher," Gutierrez said. "I was very successful. Then I moved on to be an administrator at Buljan, where I was in charge of academics and discipline. The school was distinguished as one of the best in California." A wing of the school at Buljan was named after Gutierrez before he retired in 2013. As his coaching career comes to an end, Gutierrez said he will remember all the good players he coached the most. "The best players, you just let them play," he said. "You accommodate them and make sure they have patience, but you let them play. I also feel I have done a decent job at making sure every kid feels like he is a part of the team and not making them sit on the bench the whole game. You've got your four, five, six players that you've got to keep on the field, but you've got to get the other kids in the game. "All the friendships I've developed over the years, that's another thing I'll remember. That stuff stays with you and that's a big part of the mentality at Roseville High." At Roseville's last regular-season game on Feb. 6 against Twelve Bridges, a 3-0 victory, about a dozen players from Gutierrez' first team at Roseville High showed up and surprised their old coach. "I was really happy they came," Gutierrez said. When Gutierrez' coaching career ends after the playoffs, he said his next order of business involves his four grandkids. "I've got three boys and a girl and they're all little," Gutierrez said. "I'm going to see if I can get them involved and get them to enjoy the game. I have my plans."