Lely boys soccer coach Robbie Schank celebrates 30 years as head coach

Lely boys soccer head coach Robbie Schank’s voice is a fixture of the school’s soccer program. Nearly 1,800 players have heard that voice coaching them up.

“These kids have been my life for 30 years I live through them,” Schank said. “And I don’t just chose them for the season, I chose them for life.”

Most of Schank’s life has been dedicated to Lely soccer. He played for the Trojans and was a captain his senior season. After he graduated, he coached the JV team. Then, at age 20, he took over the varsity. And that program looked a lot different back then.

“The program back when I first started I think they changed the mercy rule from 10 goals to eight because of us,” Schank explained. “And if we were not able to get mercied that was a success. It started slow and we built it one block at a time.”

Under Schank’s leadership, the Trojans have been a fixture in the postseason, appearing in 13 district championship games. In their latest trip to the district tile game, Lely brought back another district championship trophy to campus by knocking off Golden Gate.

“It would have been Golden Gate’s fourth time winning in a row,” Lely center back Brodin Andrae said. “And we took back what was rightfully ours.”

In 30 years of coaching, you don’t get many firsts. But this year, Schank is coaching his first multigenerational player. His freshman striker, Mario Guzman Jr., is the son of Mario Guzman Sr., who Schank coached back in 2001.

“That makes me feel very old for the first time in my career,” Schank said.

“I think he’s calmed down a bit,” Guzman Sr. joked. “Before he used to yell more. Now he’s kind of toned down. So I don’t know if it’s the same Rob.”

Guzman Sr. went on to say that he was, “just proud of him that he’s still here and he’s coached me and now he’s coaching my son.”

When asked about what Schank has said to him in comparing him to his father, Guzman Jr. said, “he just says my dad was a little faster.”

When he’s not coaching, Schank is a lietuenant with North Collier Regional Fire. He said being on the soccer field and coaching this team is his happy place.

“We go through we see a lot of tragic accidents and see families in despair and this is where I always go, this is my outlet,” Schank explained. “And this has always kept me grounded. The kids have always kept me grounded. These are all my trophies out here.”