Columbus East head coach llya Schwartzman yells instruction to players as assistant coach Maria Webb films the action during Thursday’s match against Hauser at BCSC Soccer Complex in Columbus.
Tommy Walker | For The Republic
When Ilya Schwartzman was beginning his tenure as a girls soccer coach at Columbus East, his daughter Maria was playing for the Olympians.
Two decades later, Schwartzman is still coaching at East, and this year, Maria Webb is one of his assistants.
“She grew up in a soccer family, so she has been with soccer since she could basically walk,” Schwartzman said. “So playing and learning, we’ve had a lot of conversations. We didn’t have the opportunity to bring her on staff just because she was not in this area. (This year), we had an opening for a JV position, so for me, it was a no-brainer to ask her. I didn’t know if she had the time to commit. It’s been wonderful to have her aboard. To have a daughter who has lived soccer and loves soccer as much as you to to be a part of your staff and work with you, that’s the ultimate.”
Columbus East assistant coach Maria Webb films the team huddle before Thursday’s match against Hauser at BCSC Soccer Complex in Columbus.
Tommy Walker | For The Republic
Webb and her husband had their first child in 2022 and moved back to Columbus to be closer to her parents.
“His JV coaches had other life commitments going on, and we’re here in Columbus,” Webb said. “We had a baby a couple years ago, so we moved back to be close to him. So he asked if I would like to coach. I always thought I’d coach sometime. It’s an honor to coach with him.”
Webb began coaching a parks and recreation team while in college at DePauw, where she ran cross-country and track. She also coached a middle school team when she was in grad school.
“When she was playing, there was a lot of studying at home, a lot of learning,” Schwartzman said. “We watched a lot of games together and studied the game together. So she understands my thinking, and I understand her thinking. So sometimes, we kind of know what each other is thinking without saying it.”
“We would sit down and watch soccer on TV,” Webb added. “We would watch games. We would watch other sports because hockey and basketball have a ton of overlap theory-wise. So we’d talk about theory, we’d talk about positioning. I love soccer. I love East. I love him.”
And now, she is realizing a dream of coaching with her father.
“I had a secret dream that I would get to coach with him,” Webb said. “It’s an honor. Some of my absolute best memories are playing soccer with him as my coach growing up. It’s a true privilege to have your dad as your coach, especially a dad who understands the game and played the game.”
Columbus East head coach llya Schwartzman yells instruction to players as assistant coach Maria Webb films the action during Thursday’s match against Hauser at BCSC Soccer Complex.
Tommy Walker | For The Republic
Schwartzman, 62, played at Munster High School and Wabash College, then with some adult teams until about five years ago. He is one of the state’s all-time winningest coaches with 220 wins. He has won three sectional, two regional and 15 Hoosier Hills Conference championships and has been named HHC Coach of the Year 15 times and Indiana Soccer Coaches Association Coach of the Year twice.
Columbus East coach llya Schwartzman watches his players warm up before Thursday’s match against Hauser at BCSC Soccer Complex in Columbus.
Tommy Walker | For The Republic
A Jack Cramer Ideals of Athletic Competition Award winner in 2018, Schwartzman also was a torchbearer for Bartholomew County for the Indiana Bicentennial Torch Relay in 2016. He still works as a physician at Columbus Family Medicine.
“The biggest thing for me has been working with the kids and just trying to transfer the love of the game and teaching them the game,” Schwartzman said. “I’ve been blessed with having great players. I’ve been blessed with having great kids and great families that I’ve worked with. It’s never been a job. It’s always been fun.”
Columbus East head coach llya Schwartzman yells instruction to players as assistant coach Maria Webb films the action during Thursday’s match against Hauser at BCSC Soccer Complex in Columbus.
Tommy Walker | For The Republic
Webb works as a professor of computer science at DePauw. She mostly teaches via Zoom from her home.
“She’s a tremendous teacher,” Schwartzman said. “She’s a professor in college and has done a lot of teaching. So she has an incredible knack of getting the information across. She knows soccer extremely well, so in her, I knew I could get somebody with solid soccer knowledge and soccer experience who could relate to the young ladies on the team.”
Columbus East head coach llya Schwartzman, left wearing gray hat, and assistant coach Maria Webb, right, wearing black hat, listen to players speak during halftime of Thursday’s match against Hauser at BCSC Soccer Complex in Columbus.
Tommy Walker | For The Republic
Webb hopes to be coaching soccer long enough to coach her son, who now is 2 years old.
“I always thought I’d coach my son’s team,” Webb said. “It’s a little early, but I’m getting practice.”
“He has been kicking a soccer ball since he was in a crib,” Schwartzman added. “He has had no choice but to start enjoying the game. He’ll end up doing what he decides to do. We certainly would love for him to play soccer, but time will tell.”
