Andover Boys Soccer Head Coach Edwin Escobar values humility and leads his team upholding strong morals. Escobar became the Head Coach for Boys Soccer in 2017, previously coaching both Boys and Girls Soccer at Tabor Academy. Escobar holds the National Coaches Association Certification and two Catalan Fútbol Federation Certificates from Barcelona, Spain.
Escobar strives to coach his players with compassion and care above all else. Fostering similar aspirations as Andover Head Baseball Coach Kevin Graber, Escobar hopes to foster relationships with his players that transcend the game.
“I still remember vividly [Graber’s] words of coaching, and those words are that the players that you have, they don’t really care about how much you know unless you show them that you care. My approach to coaching is bringing in a group of players that I feel that I can help, that I can teach, and while they’re here, my hope is that they feel that their coach is somebody that cares about them not just for what they do on the field but also how they do off the field,” said Coach Escobar.
Kai Myles ʼ27 noted that Coach Graber’s support extends beyond the soccer field. Myles emphasizes Escobar’s willingness to offer assistance and advice to his players in all aspects of their lives.
“He always gives everybody a fair chance, fair playing time when they deserve it, and he’s always willing to help. Even out of football–or soccer–itself, he just likes to help with academic stuff as well and even just family issues so I think he’s just a good person in general and he’s just a very good coach, not only in soccer but he’s just a great person to all of us,” said Myles.
Escobar hopes for players to embrace obstacles and play with humility, noting how essential it is for athletes in the program to go through ups and downs in order to improve.
“… If you find yourself at the bottom at times, that means that you’re in the right place. That means that you are in a place where you are being challenged, and I think that’s the most important thing for an athlete, is for you to be in an environment where you can continue to learn, and I think that’s what we have here for the players,” said Escobar.
Paul Gichana ’25 highlighted how foundational practices are highly emphasized by Coach Escobar. Gichana recalled that making small differences in day to day routine can drastically help athletes perform well both on and off the field.
“Coach Escobar always says to do the little things right. The basics are everything whether that be eating, sleeping, staying hydrated, doing your homework. He always says that the little things are the most important things because when you do those things, everything else will come into play,” said Gichana.
Myles appreciated Escobar’s efforts in welcoming him, ensuring that the team bonds well with each other. As a Junior, Escobar was one of the main people who helped integrate new players like Myles into the Andover soccer team.
“He’s helped me in many ways, I think one of them being just making sure that I’m included in all squad activities, making sure that I’m not left out by anybody… Especially because I came late to preseason, I didn’t get enough time to gel with the squad as much as all of the new players did. He still ensured that everybody was nice to me and knew me and had some type of connection with me,” said Myles.
Escobar values the experiences of the team as much as making it into the championship. He hopes that each player can create unforgettable memories and feel satisfied with their experience as part of their Andover journey.
Escobar said, “…My goal is for them to say that they were part of a team that as the season went on they developed and they became something better than they were when they initially started. Obviously, in terms of reaching a goal for the players is to be able to make it to the playoffs, and to make some noise in the playoffs, but for me as a coach what’s going to stick with them is how they felt when they were part of the team.”
