A Tribute to Dave Coutts

The passing of Dave Coutts, president of Coastal Youth Soccer and longtime schedule-master at the annual vMassachusetts Tournament of Champions, leaves both a massive pair of shoes to fill and an enormous on-field vlegacy across the state.

Yet Bob Trudeau will miss his conversations with Dave Coutts most of all.

“One of the things Dave loved more than anything else was a great debate,” recalls Trudeau, immediate past president of the Mass. Youth Soccer Association. “He was fiercely loyal to his home organization, Plymouth Youth Soccer, and just as loyal to Coastal Youth Soccer. If there were something being discussed that he felt wasn’t in their best interest, in the best interest of those kids and parents, he would certainly let you know. And he would defend his opinions — those conversations could go on for hours!

“But you know what? He was a great debater and I will treasure those conversations. I carry many of the scars from his barbs, but he was always respectful. He never raised his voice or pounded tables. But when Dave would call me, when I saw that number flash on my cell phone, I’d tell my wife, I might be tied up for a while.”

Sitting MYSA Executive Director Michael Borislow points out that while Dave Coutts was initiated into the Mass Youth Soccer Hall of Fame, in 1998, that honor doesn’t begin to explain the wide ranging impact and legacy of this unique leader of men and women, this gifted conversationalist who never played soccer himself, this fellow who may have loved bird-watching above all things, who took the most difficult job at the Massachusetts Tournament of Champions and made it his own.

“Mass. Youth soccer will sure miss Dave Coutts and all the incredible hard work and dedication he gave us,” Borislow said. Yet he has left another incredible legacy through his children’s dedication to the sport. Jen, his daughter, we hope will continue fulfilling a similar role at the MTOC tournament. Two of his sons, Doug and Greg are referee mentors, coaches and board members of their towns. All four of Dave's kids were referees and all were refs at MTOC. Four of his grandkids are refs (Amelia, Anthony, Ryan and Alanda) and Declan is only waiting to be old enough to start refereeing. All have played soccer and continue to be avid fans.

David W. Coutts passed away peacefully on Oct. 14. He was born on June 1943, the only child of William and Gertrude (Ogg) Coutts, in Jamaica Plain. Young Dave was a boy scout and an avid member of the Boston Children’s Museum, where he first cultivated a lifelong love of bird watching. He attended Boston Technical High School where he lettered in track and was co-captain of the football team. He received a scholarship to play football at Northeastern University, where he played on the undefeated 1963 squad. He also sprinted on the track team.

After graduating with a degree in Chemical Engineering, he and the former Judy A. Foote were married before moving to Akron, Ohio, where Dave had secured a job at the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. When the couple returned to New England in 1975, he accepted a position with Polaroid Corporation in New Bedford, MA. The family settled in Plymouth and never left.

Coutts’ role in the game grew from coach to president of the Plymouth Youth Soccer League, then to president of the Coastal League, one of 10 town-based associations in Massachusetts. His position there thrust him into the MYSA sphere, where he quickly came to be associated with state Tournament of Champions (MTOC). For many years Coutts served as director of this sprawling, statewide tournament, “though that was just one small part of his responsibilities,” Borislow reports. “He also served as league president for Coastal, for many years. Longer than any other president served in that role, I believe.”

As other MYSA folks took their turns in the MTOC leadership role, Coutts turned his attentions to tournament scheduling. Those familiar with this particular event understand what a monumental undertaking that is. For those who don’t: Imagine hundreds of teams massed around a single tent, with a dozen voices at any one time reporting scores, asking questions, anxiously waiting on standings and desperately trying to figure where and when their next match would be played — and against whom.

“Somehow Dave worked all the magic,” Borislow said. “The tournament itself is chaotic enough, but he was intimately involved with planning the tournament, as well, which is entirely volunteer run. Some years, the Friday before the tournament, kids were still in school because of snow days. You had teams qualifying only the week before. Then he was responsible to hundreds of kids, coaches and parents for all the score collections and postings.

“Not just anyone could handle that job. And it wasn’t easy at Coastal either, corralling all those town programs to play nice together in the sand box, while always being friendly and he always finding ways to pull people together. Dave’s skill set and persona were unique. He was a diplomat in a style that only he could be a diplomat.”

Trudeau agrees. “I know the piece of it he really loved about scheduling was all the teams huddling around the stand while he and Jen were there adding up points and writing up the names of four teams that advanced to the semifinals the next day,” Trudeau said. “It was a big job. It was mayhem: 180 teams, dozens of games every hour. He and his daughter did everything and it was one of his favorite things. He lived for that.

“In fact, I know one of the debates we had, one that was going on among leagues that run the Tournament of Champions, was whether to modernize the scheduling operation or not. Dave was fiercely protective of his system, which was basically just a bunch of excel spread sheets. We thought what with all the technology and apps now available, we might want to upgrade. It’s such a big, complicated job. Dave wanted nothing to do with that.”

Dave Coutts loved soccer, and he will be missed by hundreds of people inside the state’s youth soccer circles. But the game, nor little else, ever defined him. For many years he served as Scoutmaster for Plymouth Troup 9, the “Ramblers”. In that organization, he was famous for organizing trips to battlefields and historical sites all over the US and Canada. During this time, he received one of the Scouts’ highest honors, The Order of the Arrow, as well as the Silver Beaver Award. All three of his boys became Eagle Scouts. He also loved bird watching and all things Scottish. He found bagpipe music relaxing and would state that nobody made better shortbread than his mother. Dave was also an avid mountain climber, scaling much of New Hampshire’s Presidential Range during Polaroid hiking trips. He successfully completed a marathon. He was a passionate golfer and a committed member of his church.

“We had to adjust the schedule on Leagues Committee meetings, because Dave had to teach Sunday school,” Trudeau recalls. “He was just an all-around great guy. I’m really going to miss him.”

Dave Coutts was laid to rest, following a service at the Church of Pilgrimage in Plymouth, on Oct. 19. An interactive tribute book can be viewed here. In lieu of flowers, the family asked that mourners consider donating to the "David Coutts Fund", set up by his children: https://www.gofundme.com/f/david-coutts-fund