E.C. Glass Athletic Director kicks soccer duties

It was difficult enough for Chip Berry to give up coaching junior varsity basketball, the sport he played at Lynchburg College, when he replaced Rose Flaugher as E.C. Glass’ athletic director three years ago.

Stepping down as varsity soccer coach this spring, after coaching the sport for the past 30 years, was, in Berry’s words, “One of the toughest decisions of my life.”

“It’s extremely hard,” he said. “I went into education for the teaching aspect and fell in love with the coaching aspect. It’s something I’ve loved, and had a passion for. I’ve worked with some of the best kids at E.C. Glass. They certainly are the best part of my day. Their exuberance has kept me young at heart.”

Berry, 52, has had tremendous influence on generations of soccer players in the area, from youth up through the college ranks.

“As far as I’m concerned, he’s Mr. Soccer for Lynchburg,” Jefferson Forest coach Jedd Zaring said. “He was one of the original founders, along with Randy Nelson and a few others, of the Hill City Soccer Club,” now known as Lynchburg United Soccer.

According to his successor Randy Turille, a former E.C. Glass player and longtime assistant under Berry, he also coached the only two professional players to come out of Lynchburg — Russell Hutchison, who played for the Virginia Beach Mariners, and Anthony Catalano, now with the Richmond Kickers.

“He’s done more for soccer in this area than anybody,” said Turille, who also serves as Holy Cross’ boys soccer coach in the fall and athletic director year-round. “He’s the reason I’m a coach now. He hired me (in 1990), gave me my first shot and taught me through the years. He changed my life around.”

Glass girls coach Darien McClurg also played for Berry and has patterned his coaching style after that of his mentor.

“A lot of the stuff I do, I learned from him,” McClurg said. “Chip runs the program like it should be run, with a lot of class and integrity. I rely on Chip a lot for advice. He’s the Dean Smith of soccer in the area.”

The timing of Berry’s resignation is fitting, with the graduation of his son Hodges two years after older brother Weston, both of whom were leaders on the soccer team. But the decision was dictated by his responsibilities as A.D., especially with Glass being reclassified as a Group AA school and the Hilltoppers moving into the Seminole District in 2009.

He must attend meetings for both the Western Valley and the Seminole districts as well as the Northwest Region and Region III next year in the transition period.

“I told everybody I would re-evaluate at the end of this season and it wasn’t fair to the guys for me to be gone for two days per week,” Berry said.

Zaring was amazed Berry was able to juggle both positions for the past three years.

“I don’t know how you could be athletic director and a soccer coach, especially since the spring is so loaded with sports,” he said. “I don’t know how he did it. It shows how organized he is.”

When Berry takes on a job, he usually sees it through to the end.

“If you know Chip, he’s going to do whatever task he undertakes 100 percent and with great thought,” said Shelley Blumenthal, who played soccer at Lynchburg College the same time as Berry played basketball. “He’s passionate about whatever it is he undertakes, whether that be his teaching or his coaching or any cause that he believes in.”

Blumenthal, who became good friends with Berry at LC and a friendly coaching rival over the years at Blacksburg, said Berry’s interpersonal skills are what made him such an effective coach.

“He’s the consummate role model for young people,” said Blumenthal, who was recently lured out of retirement and will return to the Bruins’ sidelines next spring. “In any sport, Chip would be a great success as a coach. So much of it is the way he relates to young people. So many of us as coaches see him as a great role model. We strive to carry ourselves the way Chip does.”

Berry has served as chairman of the soccer committee for the Virginia High School Coaches Association since the early 1990s and was instrumental in starting the VHSCA senior summer all-star games for girls and boys soccer.

“The reason there is an all-star soccer game is solely because of Chip Berry,” Zaring said. “He told (VHSCA director Mike Smith) ‘I will do this,’ and that was the only way it was going to get done.”

Blumenthal foresees a future in politics for Berry, if he should ever choose to leave athletics.

“Chip could run for governor because everybody knows him,” he said. “Truly, he’s been the leader for boys high school soccer in the state of Virginia. He’s the liaison for soccer coaches to the Coaches’ Association and the Virginia High School League. He does everything with class, sportsmanship, for the good of young people and the good of the game.”

But as much of a gentleman as Berry is, he has a fiery side to him at times on the sidelines.

“Chip, as nice a guy as he is off the field, he’s a very intense competitor,” Zaring said. “He was a heckuva basketball player for Lynchburg College. He’s a very intense guy (and) that carries over to his players. Chip has done a marvelous job of consistently instilling intensity and the team concept.”

For as much success as his teams have had on the field, winning numerous district titles over the years, Berry doesn’t accept credit for any of it. He has even purposely stopped keeping record of his career win totals.

“He’s got, who knows, 300-some wins against the best competition you could play,” Blumenthal said. “Chip is the most humble guy you’d want to meet. Any time you try to nominate him for awards, he refuses. But if you say ‘High school boys soccer,” Chip Berry is the person principals, coaches in other sports, know. He is our leader for soccer in the state.”