The final time we noticed Adhir Ravipati teaching on a highschool soccer sideline was in December 2018.
His Menlo-Atherton Bears beat Lincoln of San Diego for the Division 3-AA state championship at Sequoia Excessive Faculty in Redwood Metropolis.
Three months later, he stepped down.
“It’s been a brutally agonizing determination and really emotional for me,” Ravipati mentioned on the time. “However I can’t make it work with my day job and my profession.”
So much has occurred for Ravipati, 34, over the previous three years and on Tuesday there was extra change.
Archbishop Riordan introduced that he's the college’s new soccer coach. Ravipati takes over from Mark Modeste, whom, the college mentioned, “moved on from the place however will stay Riordan’s Director of Safety.”
“The Athletic Division and the Administration are grateful for Coach Modeste’s service to the soccer program and to the Archbishop Riordan group,” the college added.
Riordan went 5-5 final fall, closing out its schedule with shut losses to St. Ignatius and Valley Christian.
The San Francisco faculty hasn’t reached the Central Coast Part playoffs since 2015.
Ravipati has stayed related to soccer since stepping down at M-A, the place he went 38-15 total and 17-3 in league play whereas claiming two CCS and two regional titles along with the state crown in 4 seasons.
He skilled children throughout the COVID shutdown after which joined the employees on the School of San Mateo as an assistant.
A product lead at Dropbox, Ravipati now is ready to stability highschool teaching and his profession, noting that he can do his Dropbox job on the Riordan campus as a result of he's now not required to be in an workplace.
Ravipati spent a couple of minutes on the cellphone with the Bay Space Information Group on Tuesday.
Here's what he mentioned (edited for readability and brevity):
Darren Sabedra: Why was this the suitable job for you?
Adhir Ravipati: I’ll be sincere. I didn’t suppose I used to be going to return again to teach highschool soccer ever once more. I assumed I used to be going to be at CSM, do the junior faculty factor, or transfer on to the four-year stage. I had the chance to interview and I acquired a bunch of curiosity from Division I faculties. I assumed that was going to be the subsequent transfer for me. Simply going via that course of, the timing wasn’t proper for me for that. This job form of got here open late. I acquired related to the college via a mutual contact. We had a primary cellphone dialog. They had been nice. I had an opportunity to ask them a ton of questions. I requested them some actually onerous questions in regards to the faculty and what their imaginative and prescient for this system was and a few of the struggles that they’ve had. I believe simply wanting on the faculty and the brand new management that’s come within the final couple of years and taking a look at the place the administration is — the AD, the imaginative and prescient for the college — I noticed quite a lot of alignment with my values as a coach. To be sincere, I see quite a lot of M-A in Riordan. Simply how various the scholar physique is, the educational alternatives that the college provides. The STEM program that they’ve constructed, the bio-medical science program that they provide. The care that individuals have on campus for the youngsters. It simply felt quite a bit like M-A. I believe there is a chance to construct a very profitable soccer program on and off the sector. I believe the suitable individuals are in place to try this. I believe Riordan is able to be actually good at soccer. The dedication that I've seen from the administration and conversations that we've had, this simply appeared like a very distinctive alternative that I felt like at the moment I couldn’t move up.
DS: You might be nonetheless within the tech enterprise?
AR: I'm nonetheless working as a product lead at Dropbox. One of many issues that occurred once I stepped down was I needed to make the drive from work to the college, again to work, again to the college. That’s form of gone now. With COVID, the whole lot has moved to distant work. I'm form of on this distinctive alternative the place I'm already working from dwelling day by day. I now have the chance to go on campus at Riordan and be capable of work my tech job from on campus. I've form of change into like a free on-campus coach. I can do my day job after which I've the power to be proper there the place I can assist with something or I can actually shut my laptop computer and stroll exterior and be at apply. It’s a really distinctive set of circumstances that actually wasn’t obtainable to me previous to COVID.
Excited for the subsequent chapter of my teaching journey because the HC at Riordan. Thanks to the coaches and gamers at CSM and M-A who've formed my teaching journey and given me a lot. I like all of you and can all the time be right here for you. I hope to carry those self same values to Riordan. pic.twitter.com/OLz56vs06D — Adhir Ravipati (@CoachAdhir) February 22, 2022
DS: What are the steps to get Riordan soccer to get the place you need it to be?
AR: The very first thing I did once I met the youngsters was I gave them an opportunity to ask me questions and find out about me. We acquired a whiteboard out and we break up it into three columns. We went via what had been all of the issues that they felt had been unsuitable with this system they usually wished to see completely different. Within the center column, we put all our targets collectively. On the suitable facet, we put collectively how we’re going to get there. There have been quite a lot of frequent threads there. The very first thing is constructing the self-discipline, the dedication, the accountability and breeding that tradition into this system. Constructing a way of brotherhood and household, of them actually caring about one another and caring for one another on and off the sector. A dedication to excellence and the whole lot that they do.
DS: The West Catholic Athletic League is top-heavy. Is it potential for Riordan to get there?
AR: The entire league I believe has incredible coaches, incredible gamers, all well-run applications. You take a look at a staff that’s on the prime of the league, they're there for a purpose. After I take a look at Riordan, I believe there’s a staff that may be aggressive at that prime a part of the WCAL. I actually do. I don’t suppose Riordan was perhaps able to do that previously. I believe they’re prepared to try this now from an infrastructure standpoint, from a dedication standpoint. I actually do suppose that Riordan is a sleeping big and I believe we've the chance to have the ability to do one thing actually particular.
DS: Didn’t present M-A coach Chris Saunders come from Riordan?
AR: He was one of many folks I talked to earlier than I took the job, really. He was the offensive coordinator at Riordan for a yr and came to visit to M-A to be the top coach. He mentioned there have been quite a lot of actually nice folks there. He mentioned that he felt like Riordan had the chance to be a very good program.
DS: So your final highschool recreation was profitable a state title?
AR: Yeah, 2018. … I ended up having to step again to deal with my profession. If I didn’t have to depart M-A, I by no means would have. I'm certain in one other lifetime, I by no means would have left M-A. I'd have stayed there without end. However it didn’t work out that approach. I really feel like ultimately, right here at Riordan, I discovered a spot the place I can do one thing much like M-A by way of the impression on children.