“Coaching for 25 seasons is a great accomplishment, and one reason I’ve survived many difficult seasons is because I love the game so much,” said Solis, who teaches fifth grade at Truman School in New Haven. “But I’m also a teacher, and that’s always been the most important aspect of being a coach to me.
Solis has a career record of 137-194-39, including 5-10-1 this season. When his teams have reached the CIAC State Tournament – and the Condors have done so 10 times – they have never advanced past the first round.
“After four years with me, my players know the skills and concepts of soccer. But I’m also teaching them more than just the game. I’m hopefully teaching them something they can apply off the soccer field and in their daily lives.”
Solis considers himself one of the toughest high school coaches.
“The game of soccer, like life, is sacred to me,” Solis said. “The most important thing is that there is no cussing on my team. If I even hear them say the word damn, they know they’re going to start sprinting.
“Every day I tell my kids they are learning more than just soccer. They’re also learning social skills. They’re learning what’s right and what’s wrong, and that you have to have compassion for those who aren’t as strong as you are.”
Solis came to the United States from his native Guatemala in 1966 at the age of 16. His family moved to Ansonia and he attended Ansonia High School.
Soccer was his passion in Guatemala. But in 1966, there was no soccer program in Ansonia. City rival OBrien Tech had one. But OBrien Tech’s coaches told Solis he couldn’t play for them because he attended Ansonia. So Solis did the next best thing and offered his services as a volunteer assistant coach for the Condors. He then played soccer at Sacred Heart University, where he graduated in 1974.
In late 1975, he heard there was a coaching vacancy at OBrien Tech. He jumped at the chance to become head coach and took over in 1976. In his first season, the team finished 0-12-1. “You should have seen us celebrating a tie,” Solis said. “It was like we won the state championship.”
The players agree Solis has had a big impact on them, both on and off the field. “He tries to teach us discipline and the fundamentals of soccer,” said Jeff Gould, the team’s three-time captain. “He teaches us good sportsmanship on the field. He wants us to play hard, but we have to be good sportsmen in the process.
Triple captain and midfielder Matt Bowen said, “He’s been a big factor in our lives. He’s very strict and prohibits swearing and mischief. He values winning, but as long as we’re playing well, he doesn’t care about the result. “He has this incredible soccer knowledge. He gives us different strategies for certain teams and knows where to put players.”