Photos/Videos: Marc Narducci & Ryan Nix
By: Marc Narducci
Bryn Mawr, PA – Sebastien Le Toux is looking for normalcy even though he understands that can’t be 100 percent achieved.
Just think, how many high school soccer coaches in the Delaware Valley, or elsewhere can say they were an All-Star player in Major League Soccer?
So, Le Toux tries to keep things as simple as possible, not dwelling on what he accomplished as a player but what can be achieved by the girls he now coaches at The Shipley School.
Le Toux, among the most beloved and best players in Philadelphia Union history, is in his first year as the varsity girls’ soccer coach at The Shipley School, coaching in the Friends League.
He actually received his start last season as the Shipley JV coach, but this season he has been elevated to varsity.
And Le Toux, like any competitor, wants to win every game, but his biggest ambition is that the girls learn the game and they enjoy themselves doing so.
PSD Reporter Marc Narducci catches up with Shipley head coach Sebastien Le Toux, and his players Avery Johnston, Talia Devon & Riley Medina at practice - PSD Video by Marc Narducci
At practice he instructs, constantly. He isn’t one to yell at the players, but also isn’t afraid to point out a mistake and try to make it a teachable moment.
Most of all he wants the girls to be in a relaxed environment and doesn’t want them worrying about being coached by somebody who enjoyed a highly productive MLS career.
“I always tell them ‘it doesn’t matter who I am, just play the best way you can,’” Le Toux said after a recent practice.
It doesn’t matter who he is?
That’s pretty hard to keep out of the equation, but the girls are doing a pretty good job at it.
The Shipley School's girls' head soccer coach, Sebastien Le Toux - PSD Photo by Ryan Nix
Le Toux, 38, was born in Mont-Saint-Aignan, France. His first professional experience in the U.S. came in 2007 as a member of the Seattle Sounders in the USL First Division.
The Sounders eventually became an MLS team in 2009 and have been one of the league’s model franchises since.
In November of 2009, Seattle left Le Toux unprotected in the MLS expansion draft. Le Toux was selected by the Philadelphia Union, a move that changed his life.
He became the first MLS All-Star in Union history in 2010.
Le Toux played two different stints totaling six seasons with the Union, finishing with 50 goals and 50 assists.
He loved the area so much that he has made it his home. Le Toux now lives in the Fishtown section of Philadelphia.
“I really enjoyed my time here when I played with the Union and I decided it is where I want to be,” he said.
Le Toux was listed at 6-foot and 154-pounds during his playing days and he remains in tip-top shape.
His final MLS season was 2017 with D.C. United, but he still looks like he could break down professional defenders and score.
For now, most of his playing time is with Shipley’s team.
Yes, Le Toux, will jump into a scrimmage and often weave his magic with the soccer ball.
“He is super fun to play with, super energetic and really is positive, so it is really nice to have him as coach,” said Riley Medina, a junior striker.
The one thing he doesn’t do when he joins in the action is take it easy on his players. His players find the same difficulty in taking the ball away from Le Toux that MLS defenders experienced.
“He definitely likes to play with us and he doesn’t hold back and makes us look a little silly, but it is a good challenge,” said Talia Devon, a junior striker.
While it’s difficult to defend him, being on his team can be a true treat.
“Every team that has him will win because he is so good,” said junior defender Avery Johnston. “It is always so much fun playing with him.”
Shipley game highlights vs. Abington Friends on 9/21 (video/Ryan Nix for PSD)
And Le Toux, known for his goal-scoring prowess, will go to any length to make things interesting during practice.
“Sometimes he will play goalie for us and he is so good,” Johnston said. “He is good at every position and that makes it more fun.”
How did Le Toux end up at Shipley?
The story began in the summer of 2021.
“It came to our attention that Sebastien was interested in getting into coaching at this level,” Shipley athletic director Justin Cooper said.
And it just so happened that there was a JV opening.
Le Toux’s main coaching experience before coming to Shipley was serving as a personal instructor to youngsters, something he still does. The only time he coached an actual team occurred after he first came to the Seattle organization in 2007.
He coached a U-10 boys team.
“One of the reasons I wanted to do it was to learn English and I liked it,” he said.
The only problem was that most of the games were on the weekend, which was also the case for the Sounders. So, after one season he gave it up.
Two things occurred, however, when he coached the youngsters.
Le Toux sure learned English. In fact, he has such a command of the language that he is a popular member of the Union broadcast team, offering pre and post-game analysis.
He also realized that he enjoyed teaching the game to youngsters.
So when the JV job opened up, he was excited at the opportunity. And the feeling was mutual by Shipley.
Shipley Girls Soccer in game vs. Abington Friends School - PSD Gallery by Ryan Nix
“It was a great fit,” Cooper said. “We could kind of pilot to his preferences and experience and both sides could see how it would go.”
And it went really well.
Medina, the above-mentioned striker, played for Le Toux last year on JV and now he is her coach on varsity.
“It’s been really awesome, getting to know his training (methods) and having him teach us really small details and ball-handling skills, it has been really helpful,” Medina said. “He’s been the best coach I have had in my life.”
Again, he has supplied his players with a wealth of soccer knowledge, but Le Toux sees the big picture one that goes well beyond the field of play.
“These young girls are on the path to becoming adults and you try to put them on the path to succeed in their life, not just in soccer but about everything else,” Le Toux said.
He insists that he doesn’t get tense in games. He never did as a player either. Yet, there is an emotion that never goes away when it comes to the sport of soccer.
“I get excited before a game,” he said. “I know what they can do but it’s up to them to play,” he said. “I’m just having fun helping them.”
His varsity team went 3-3 in its first six games, but was 2-0 in the first two Friends League matches.
“What is great is seeing them get more confident and seeing how much they like to play the game, which is the most important thing,” he said.
There is another trait that Le Toux brings that can’t be emphasized enough.
“The players respect him and all of his accomplishments, but he’s also makes them feel like they have self worth,” said Cooper, the athletic director. “...He sets the tone for the program culturally, where he really meets each girl where they’re at and helps them not just in soccer, but in life in general.”
That is a central theme with Le Toux. As a coach he feels a deep responsibility toward his players. Whether they win or lose, he wants them to feel special.
Feeling special doesn’t just come from playing for a former pro, but having a coach who understands that some of the biggest wins for the youngsters come far away from the playing field.