By Mitch Silver
Rich Savage, the longtime Rye High Girls’ Soccer coach, started his career playing the game for the RHS Boys’ team. An All-League midfielder in high school, he has become a highly decorated coach. In addition to leading the Girls’ Varsity team to countless championship matches (including the 2020 Southern Westchester Large School Title, two appearances in the NY State Finals, and one State Championship), Rich has coached dozens of high school all-Americans, college all-Americans, and professional players.
One of those celebrated players is his son, Richard, also a midfielder. Richard captained the Garnets while winning All-League honors himself. Now a junior at Curry College in Milton, Massachusetts, the 5’11”, 155-pound athlete has chosen to follow in his father’s footsteps in another field: he’s majoring in education.
The elder Savage recalls, “For me, playing soccer in Rye was an outstanding experience. I was fortunate enough to be coached by two All-American soccer players, Doug Choron and Billy Kholash, along with Hall of Fame soccer coach Lou Gallo. Each had very different coaching styles and brought out the best in players.
“Over the years, I have tried to model my coaching after these three and so many amazing individuals who I have either coached with or played for. I am always trying to find new methods of coaching. 
“Being able to coach Richard in youth soccer and watching him grow up in Rye was a doubly special experience. Richard seems to have found his love playing and coaching. Now that he has declared elementary education as his major and he is starting to coach at the youth level, it’s great to know he will continue to share his passion with future generations.”
