Hills & Heights
Longtime Kickers Coach Leigh Cowlishaw Steps Down
The longest tenured coach in the USL, Cowlishaw also a member of the USL Hall of Fame and was 2013 USL Coach of the Year.
After 19 years as Richmond Kickers head coach Leigh Cowlishaw is throwing in the towel. Effective immediately Cowlishaw will step away from his coaching duties and focus full-time on his role as Director of Soccer. He has held both positions since 2010.
The RTD article on the news attempts to make it clear that the change is not related to the Kickers recent poor form on the field.
Cowlishaw has registered 276 career wins and league titles in 2006 and 2009. His move away from coaching is sudden, but he and Ukrop made it clear that the departure had nothing to do with the Kickers’ downturn in form during the past two seasons (a 12-24-10 record).
“There’s no conspiracy theory. It was completely my decision,” Cowlishaw said. “Clearly the results haven’t been fantastic over the last two seasons, but at this time, it wasn’t based on performance or results.”
Richmond Kickers Announcement:
The Richmond Kickers announced today that head coach, Leigh Cowlishaw, has stepped down from his coaching role after 19 seasons at the helm. The longest tenured coach in the USL, Cowlishaw coached his 560th and final match on June 23, 2018 with a 1-1 draw against the Charlotte Independence at City Stadium and reached his 276th win as head coach with a 2-0 victory over long-time rivals Charleston Battery two weeks prior. Cowlishaw will remain an integral member of the Kickers staff, shifting his full-time focus towards his role as Director of Soccer.
“I am sincerely grateful to the Richmond Kickers Board of Directors for affording me the opportunity to step away from my coaching duties and focus solely on my Director of Soccer position,” commented Cowlishaw. “In recent years, the Kickers have experienced unprecedented growth and it has been my desire for some time to shift my attention to areas where I can have the biggest impact on the organization. I am looking forward to new challenges as we continue to strive to make the Kickers the number one sports experience in Richmond.”
Having previously joined the Kickers as a player during the club’s inaugural season in 1993, Cowlishaw assumed the role of head coach in 2000. He has amassed an overall record of 276 wins,156 losses,128 draws, leading the Kickers to 13 consecutive playoff berths (2004-2016). Under his guidance, the Kickers have qualified for postseason play 15 times, reaching the title match in 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010, while earning the Regular Season Championship title on four occasions (2001, 2006, 2007 and 2013) and claiming the league crown twice (2006 and 2009).
“Leigh has been a wonderful ambassador for our club both on the field and in the community,” added Rob Ukrop, Richmond Kickers President, Board of Directors. “Since 1993, his vision and leadership have helped shape the Richmond Kickers into the model for soccer in the United States. Leigh has had an incredible run as our First Team coach, and we look forward to honoring him later this season where our amazing fans can recognize Leigh’s coaching achievements.”
Having also achieved significant success in the U.S. Open Cup, he won the tournament title as a player in 1995 and has since led the team to four quarterfinal appearances (2001, 2004, 2007, 2011) and a remarkable semifinal finish in 2011, ousting five Major League Soccer teams along the way. A member of the USL Hall of Fame and 2013 USL Coach of the Year, Cowlishaw’s success on the field is matched by numerous awards off the field, helping to guide the club to five USL Organization of the Year awards (1995, 2000, 2006, 2007, 2009).
As Director of Soccer, Cowlishaw is responsible for guiding the strategic direction of the club while managing the technical staff, overseeing branding and marketing initiatives and delegating responsibilities in a continuously evolving sport marketplace. He will continue to provide leadership throughout all levels of the Richmond Kickers 8,000-member youth soccer club, while serving on the Richmond United Executive Committee.
A replacement coach is scheduled to be announced later today (Wednesday).
The stuff dangling off the osprey’s talon is trash that some human left. The bird is getting around fine now and hopefully the string will break off before the bird becomes entangled. Don’t litter, pickup what you can and for god’s sake don’t release balloons.
This article is 5 years old and the situation hasn’t improved.
More Plastic in the World Means More Plastic in Osprey Nests – National Audubon Society
Human waste routinely finds its way into birds’ nests, and it is especially common with Ospreys. The birds use a huge variety of materials to build their nests, including sticks, bark, sod, grass, vines and algae. Plastic items mimic the appearance of many of these natural building supplies, and Osprey find plastic trash mixed in with their natural nesting materials in beach wrack lines, making it hard for them to distinguish what’s what, Wurst says. “While Osprey see plastic as a useful resource for them to build their nests from, they don’t see the potential danger.”
By 2012, Wurst realized the problem was worsening, so he began removing the trash and collecting it to raise awareness of the issue. Wurst’s Osprey nest-trash collection includes all kinds of plastic items, including unusual finds such as plastic shovels, flags, and polyester hats. But he believes the most dangerous and deadly items are the most common ones he finds in nests: plastic ribbon from balloons and monofilament fishing line. “Trash like monofilament, ribbon, and string can easily entangle a foot, leg, or wing of an adult or young Osprey,” he says. In addition, “single use plastic bags or other plastic sheeting can choke or smother them.”
Community
Reedy Creek Access Could be Limited on Wednesday
Work will start at 9:30 AM and work should continue for a few hours. This will limit your access to Reedy Creek, and there may be periods of zero access.
From James River Parks.
Tomorrow (Wednesday, 3/29) Norfolk Southern is going to be doing repair work on the Reedy Creek Crossing. They will start at 9:30 AM and work should continue for a few hours. This will limit your access to Reedy Creek, and there may be periods of zero access.
Community
Tacos, Tattoos, and Beer
I doubt any spots are left but you can still swing by and get some killer tacos on Tuesday.
Love tattoos? Love free tacos?
We’re celebrating our 2 year anniversary with a block party @true_tattoo_rva where if you get a TBT or Taco related flash piece you’ll get free tacos from us for life
We’ll drop the flash sheet on Tuesday (3/14)
Just show us your dope ink when you purchase two tacos, and we’ll give you the third one for free
On Tuesday, March 14th, we’ll start booking slots, and we’ll have walk-ins the day of the event. Call @true_tattoo_rva to book appointments
We’ll be on-site slinging tacos and vibes with our amigos @capsoulbrewing pouring up suds.
We’ll have raffles and prizes available from our amigos as well!
Human Trash and an Osprey
Photo of the Day: I think that guy with the camera likes our outfits!
Reedy Creek Access Could be Limited on Wednesday
Photo of the Day: RVA
Maymont prepares for Dominion Energy Family Easter with call for volunteers
Husband-and-wife duo bringing new restaurant concept to former Mill on MacArthur space
New full-service commercial kitchen, fast casual food hall opens Wednesday
Richmond Falcon Cam is Back
Institute for Contemporary Art at VCU’s bevy of spring exhibitions run the gamut
