Latest / I Hate Soccer with Jason Collinsworth / I Hate Soccer #114 - James DeCosemo, head women's soccer coach at Central Michigan University

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I Hate Soccer #114 - James DeCosemo, head women's soccer coach at Central Michigan University · I Hate Soccer with Jason Collinsworth

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_02: I hate soccer.
• 0:02
  SPEAKER_02: You got Hawks, you got Nationals, you got Liverpool, you have Jags, you have Midwest, you have all these clubs, and it's like, yeah, I'm just gonna go home and just focus on this.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_01: That's awesome.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_01: So Do you still have the facility?
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_02: Uh the facility is still up and running, and but I didn't keep the business.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_02: And I my lease was actually up, and I brought in another technical trainer to kind of like split the space with me.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_02: And it's and he's taken over the entire lease.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_02: And then my assistant who actually played at University of Buffalo, she um is running her own training company now.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_02: So I mean, I think I left a pretty good impact.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, I don't know.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_01: I'm sure that's the same as here.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_01: Facilities uh what it's all about, you know, especially in this this part of the world.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, but there's no facilities there.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_02: At all.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_02: Not really.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, there's like two.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_02: Flash owns one, and then um, but there's only one like a full 11v11 field in all of Western New York, indoor.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_02: It's crazy.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_02: It's bad.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_02: It's crazy.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_02: Whereas like when I had Lewis on, he said that there's none on the west side of the state.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_01: You know someone we're building one in Lansing.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_01: Did you know that?
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_02: Is that for Nationals or is that for just like everybody?
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_02: So who's running that project?
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_01: Nationals.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, it is?
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_01: As well, yeah.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_01: They don't they got called it nationals, but it's their own ownership, Joe G and um and then Jason, who works for us at Nationals Capital Area, okay, is managing the facility.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_01: So we'll have to have you down because it's it's all like we start on Monday, which we have our first event in there.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_01: Um what are you guys doing?
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_01: Our camp.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's our first, like we have a college camp.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_01: So we'll have like a bunch of schools from all over coming in and work with our teams, like our preseason camp.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_02: How is Capital Area or how big is it?
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_01: Um we're about 45 teams, so really?
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, five, five, uh just over five hundred kids.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_02: Not including like the juniors and how how often do you send a kid down to big nationals, like main nationals versus ECNL?
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_02: Or are you guys in the RL?
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_01: We're in the RL.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_02: You are in the RL.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_01: Girls are in the GMA, uh that new league.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_01: Um, which has I think been better than anybody thought it would be.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_01: Um and then we have boys are in the Great Lakes, um, which is when West New York Flash are for their RL teams.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so Ohio basically.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_01: Um And then we also have boys in the GMA as well.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_01: So we send you know, we send probably I'd probably say a player a year to the girls.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_01: We sent two this year.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_01: One new 16, one new 13.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um the the distance is a bit too far.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_01: Um boyside the last I think two years ago we had like four or five go from one team because we had a really good like uh 2010 boys team.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_01: Really?
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_01: Um yeah, I think from that one age group we've s we've had I think we've 13 players have moved to either MLS Next or ECNL.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_02: How is the relationship with like Midwest?
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_02: Which I mean Lewis.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so I have a good relationship with obviously Luke and Lou.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_01: So like if there's if we have a player that wants to make the the jump to MLS Next because they don't want to play high school or whatever, right, then I'll um I'll usually put them in contact with Cam or Luke just because I know that those guys do a really good job.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_01: I think they what they do better than probably anyone is get kids to college.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_01: Like I think they do an unbelievable job.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_03: Really?
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think I think that's what set probably separates them.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_01: I think they're great coaches, and I but I think quite most clubs have great coaches, Jags have great coaches.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_01: I just feel like if you look at their like rates of players going on to the next level, it's I think it's very high.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_02: Um and to great schools, so so you came and you played at Northwood, and then and then w what was like your first step in coaching?
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_01: So I was like volunteering at uh PSG uh Gator's Nova through with Luke who had his own portion of it up there in Saginaw.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, and then I also was with Doug who had it in Lansing.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_01: So that's what got me into coaching, and um, yeah, I was just volunteering sometime with some what did I have?
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_01: Like a U10 and no U11, U12 boys, okay, which I loved.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_01: Um just played with them, you know, it was awesome.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_01: Um and that's the crazy thing there, they've now graduated college, which is crazy to think about as well.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_01: Uh-huh.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_01: Um and then yeah, so then the merger happened between the two clubs, and they bought rather than allowing um so Doug and Luke were owners of their areas, they purchased them off them, and um Doug went in a different direction.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_01: They ended up starting a rush, so they asked me to start National's Capital Area.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_01: So I started National's Capital Area the year that Nationals was announced.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_02: Got it.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_01: With three teams, like 32 kids.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_01: Um, just kids that wanted to play for me, and then yeah, it kind of grew from there.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_02: Where did you live?
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_02: Like when you okay, when did you start Aquinas?
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so that was so I went, so then I started at SVSU.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_01: That's right.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_01: Um did two years at SVSU under Mike Um with Wags on the Men's, and then when Luke got the Aquinas job, I went with him to be his assistant, um, which was 2019.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_01: On the men's side, on the men's side.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_01: So that was yeah, because I was on the women's side at SVSU.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_01: Luke asked me to come on the men's side at Aquinas.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_03: Got it.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and that was the year that Nationals um merged with the Chill in Lansing.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_01: So then we moved to the to Hope Sports Complex.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_01: Obviously.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_02: I was wondering what happened to the Chill.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so we we kind of just took over their youth side and decided to rent the facilities from the Mullins and um so then I was commuting from Grand Rapids to Lansing for the la for the the whole time I was at Aquinas.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_01: So What is it?
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_02: Like an hour?
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_02: That's not that bad.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_01: No.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_02: I mean I I always forget like how far it is.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_02: How far is it from here?
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_01: Uh takes me I live in uh North Lansing, it takes me about 50, 45 minutes.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_02: Really?
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_02: So you still live there?
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_02: Mm-hmm.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_02: Well, it makes sense because you're pr well okay.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_02: No.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_02: Your hourly like work is it more towards club or is it more towards here?
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_02: Or is it even?
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_01: It's here now.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_01: Um it comes in waves though, you know, like tryouts, it's definitely more club, but no, it's I'd say generally it's here.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_02: Are you on the field right now with the club?
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_02: Like do you have any teams?
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_02: No, you just run it, just running it.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_02: That's smart.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_02: Because that's what kind of Lewis does.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_02: He's like the executive director and then doesn't have any teams because that would be just way too much on your plate, right?
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, for sure.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_01: I'm and and I still can't understand how Lewis does it because obviously his club's huge, right?
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_01: Continuing to grow, but um, yeah, just just manage the kind of operations, the coaching side, um, stuff like that.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_02: And then when did you get the women's at Aquinas?
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_01: Twenty two?
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_02: Twenty-two, and then you were there for three years.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_02: Three seasons, yeah.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_02: Three seasons, and then go go into a little bit about like how hard it is to get a D1 job.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's it's it it's about connection.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_01: I needed somebody, um, so for this job, um it was about the connection between I believe it's between the ADs here and at Western.
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_01: Like I think that somebody opened a door, and I think that's what it takes.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_01: Um because it's just so competitive.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and when you were just just relying on your club background and your Aquinas and your Saginaw background, that just wasn't enough.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_01: No, I think it and if you looking at the jobs that I was going for or applying for, nearly all of them were taken by somebody local who had a connection into somebody in and around the universe.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_01: I think that's generally how it works.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_01: Apart from obviously, you know, like Dave Diani going to Michigan, that's that's that's different worlds.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_01: Um I think to get into the Division I world you need you need a connection.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um and then obviously it's on you to get through the interview process and stuff, but um to open the door.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_01: I think the hardest thing I found was um getting the door open to get into an interview.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_02: How how well did you know the roster and and this team when you were at Western?
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_01: Um yeah, I mean I knew some players through just through the club game, there's some Midwest players here, um, Nationals players.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um so always kind of saw the potential, I'd say, but and then we played against them obviously in the fall.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_01: Um and it just was evident that there was just a disconnect between some somewhere.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_01: Um you know, like they just didn't have and we we did play them really late.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_01: We played them our senior day, so it must have been really late in October.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_01: Um They just yeah, they just it just seemed a little bit too easy to play against them.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_01: Um But they they they've I'll tell you what, it's been a real surprise since I got here how um well everything else was going.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_01: Like the academic side is brilliant.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_01: Like they that f in the fall, despite only winning one game, their GPA across the team was 366, which is amazing.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_01: Um they had the fifth most community service hours of any Division I women's soccer program in the country this last year.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_01: So like everything else is really really actually.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_02: So like success off the field is great.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_02: It's awesome, and now it's just like let's get it on the field too.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's great for me, it's what I want to do.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_01: I want to coach soccer.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_02: So Right.
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_02: Because you know that that's gonna be taken care of.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think so.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_01: We we kept um I kept Keaton, who's was the assistant in the previous coach, um, and she's amazing.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_01: Like she just organizes all that stuff, she does she's brilliant administratively, she she's here and handles all the gear, she's she's just on top of all of those things.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_01: Um so it's it's evident why it was going well.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_01: Um like I said, there was just a disconnect.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_01: It turns out it was just between it was just on the field, just the soccer.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_02: Is it is she your first assistant or second assistant?
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_02: First.
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_02: First, and then who's your second assistant?
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_01: Jenna Smith.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_01: So she came with she was at Aquinas with me.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_01: And then she took the job when I went to Weston Um for the season that I was at Weston, and then yeah, Esther to come with me.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_01: So we've had a good working relationship for a few years.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_02: Perfect.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_02: And that's I mean, I think that's key, is like if you're taking over a new job, you want somebody that's kind of familiar with how you work, right?
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_02: What was your first like okay, when did you get the job?
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_01: Uh December of last year.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_02: That's early.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_02: That's good.
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_02: Because a lot of times you hear uh coaches don't get it uh get their job until like February.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_02: And the girls are already training and uh they're already on campus.
• 11:13
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 11:13
  SPEAKER_02: So you got the job and knew before they're even back in school.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so it was no, it was great.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_01: Um it was still in the transfer portal, so we were still able to do some some um work in that r uh world too.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_01: And yeah, it was actually, you know, in a perfect world, maybe it would have been a week earlier because I didn't get to meet anybody in person.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_01: Um, the girls I got introduced to on Zoom, like the daily internationals were flying home, and yeah.
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_01: So but I honestly that ended up being quite cool too, because I just met them on Zoom Um across the break, and they had like it it had maybe time to figure out who they wanted to be, and we had some good conversations of players like do they want to still stay, do they want to be a part of it?
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_01: And in general, most were excited, but like probably that month across that holiday period was perfectly relaxed enough that I could have good conversations without actually training or anything, and right, and then it gave me a month to get prepared to start training in January, so it was actually really, really good.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_01: I was I was definitely like looking back, getting it before Christmas was a big blessing, I think.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_02: How many girls did you bring in in the winter transfer portal?
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_02: Four.
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_02: Four.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_02: And then how about anybody in the spring for the transfer portal?
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_01: Um we brought one transfer, we did bring in um, she didn't come through the portal, she came from Aquinas, so um she came from NAIA, but we brought in two transfers in this class.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_01: Um Nicole was playing in um Canada, so it's a bit different, right?
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so two two um transfers and then I think it's I think it's eight freshmen.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_02: Do you notice a difference already between NAIA recruiting and then D1 recruiting, obviously?
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_01: Oh yes, and then no.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_01: Like I think there's the same challenges and the same um you know, the same positives.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 13:11
  SPEAKER_01: Um you know, you're just going up against a different level.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_01: Like at Aquinas, we were always trying to recruit against somebody better than us, you know, a D2 program or uh maybe even a D1 if we could.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_01: Um here you're now you're trying to compete against Michigan State if you can, or West Western obviously is the main one for us, uh, and the success that they've had.
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_01: So there's still always somebody that I guess you're chasing.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_01: Um they're just higher.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_01: Um but then also the resources and um that you have available to you help.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_01: So I'd say it's it's you know, the bigger difference is probably the amount of effort you can put in and have available to help you.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_01: But you still have I still find the same challenges.
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_01: You're still selling against somebody else, you're still you know what I mean?
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_01: Like you still you're just chasing somebody else, especially because we won don't want to be where CMU currently is, we want to be where Western is or where Michigan State is, uh hopefully.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, but I mean you have to get the players in to do that.
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_02: So how like okay, how hard is that to recruit against just in the state of Michigan, just the state of Michigan kids.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_02: Is it is it an uphill battle?
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_02: Because I know that Michigan State and Western have a hard time keeping some what Michigan kids in Michigan because a lot of girls want to go and they want to go to big schools outside.
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think if you I think the lesson was what Lewis done was he brought those players back, and I think Jeff did the same.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_01: So they their immediate success came from a bunch of Michigan people who had left but then wanted to come back.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_01: And you could argue back before Jeff got the Michigan State job, there wasn't actually much reason to stay in Michigan, you know, like the level wasn't what Jeff has got MSU to be, or what Dave's gonna take to be, what Lewis has done at Weston.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, if you look at how strong women's soccer is in in Michigan right now, it's insane.
• 15:05
  SPEAKER_01: You know, you've got poop you're gonna have two powerhouses of power four.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_01: You've got what Lewis is doing at Weston, um, hopefully what CMU's gonna try and catch.
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_01: Like it's in a really, really cool place, yeah.
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_02: Um and then Eastern popped out of nowhere last year and had a great season.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think Taylor's doing an awesome job there too.
• 15:21
  SPEAKER_01: Like I think everybody's just stepping up.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um obviously Detroit have been they're probably the best they've been for a long time.
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and it's just like iron sharpens iron.
• 15:29
  SPEAKER_02: I know it's cliche, but it it's true.
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_02: And I mean, how did you attack recruiting right away?
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_02: Did you go to ECNL events?
• 15:38
  SPEAKER_02: Did you go to GA events, all the above?
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_02: What did you guys what did you do?
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, first one was a great excuse to go to Florida, so straight to ECNL.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_01: Um yeah, but yeah, you know, obviously I think recruiting is connection as well.
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_01: So my nationals connection helped.
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_01: Um we do have some 27s coming in from there, and some of this class are from nationals.
• 15:58
  SPEAKER_01: Um I think the big thing I think you've got to find is what s separates you from the others, like who you are competing against.
• 16:07
  SPEAKER_01: And I think we have a good program that allows international, especially Canadians, to come here.
• 16:13
  SPEAKER_01: So we've got a really good class of um, we have some right now and some coming in from Canada, which we're really excited about because it's a really good soccer culture there too.
• 16:21
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_01: Especially Toronto, who is driving distance that's exciting for them that they can be playing Division I soccer but be close enough that people can drive to come watch their games.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_01: So we're that's what that's a uh realm we've tried to hit hard because we have basically we can offer them domestic tuition, which is a game changer.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_02: So you can.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_01: If they meet certain requirements, yeah.
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_02: Does uh do they have to be from Ontario or is it different Providences?
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_01: It's actually it's any international, I believe, as long as they hit the GPA requirements.
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_02: Really?
• 16:55
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, which is amazing for us.
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, other schools don't have that.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_02: I know that Wayne State, it's division two.
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_02: Wayne State has a rule where if you border uh Michigan, including Ontario, you get in-state tuition.
• 17:13
  SPEAKER_02: So that's kind of like almost kind of like what you guys do, but internationals.
• 17:18
  SPEAKER_02: How many internationals do you have?
• 17:23
  SPEAKER_01: Three this three this year.
• 17:27
  SPEAKER_01: Um so one was a transfer that came in in December.
• 17:29
  SPEAKER_01: Naomi came from Dayton.
• 17:31
  SPEAKER_01: Um Nicole, who I talked about comes from Canada, and then we have an English goalkeeper.
• 17:37
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_01: Um in the next class, which is I think 12 players we have in the 13 players we have in the 27th class, over half of those are Canadian.
• 17:48
  SPEAKER_02: How many players in the 2027 class?
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_02: 13, which is Holy cow, are you 13 leaving?
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah, no, it's it's it's um yes, and the main thing was But the five and five rule is probably screwing you up too.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, oh god, it's a whole new new realm of drama for us.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_01: But um we just thought, you know, there was no commits for 27 um when I got the job.
• 18:13
  SPEAKER_01: It was the one class that we could go after, and we knew we were gonna take some risks in that class.
• 18:18
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 18:19
  SPEAKER_01: So we just and and we had the resources available, so we went big in that class.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um holy cow.
• 18:26
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_02: Have you talked to any uh 28s yet?
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, um we haven't got any commits, but we're hoping we've got some that are be on campus.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_02: I I I think it's gonna be smaller.
• 18:36
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, much smaller.
• 18:37
  SPEAKER_02: Like four, yeah.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_01: Um and we want we wanted them to come on campus first.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_01: I think that's important.
• 18:43
  SPEAKER_01: I think the whole timeline of recruitment's a little bit too quick for a 16-year-old to make a life decision.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_01: So we wanted them to come on campus.
• 18:52
  SPEAKER_01: So we didn't give any deadlines before I think it's the 12th of August they can come.
• 18:56
  SPEAKER_01: So we made sure that they could come on campus.
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_02: So you okay, because so many I get like I leading up to June 15th, I get a I get a uh like DMs from parents, and they'll be like, I hear that these schools are giving us 24 hours to decide, and I'm like, please don't.
• 19:17
  SPEAKER_02: I mean schools do that for sure, especially top top schools, but any parent, I'm like, please don't just just be patient because I feel that you are more likely to find the right fit and enjoy your overall experience if you wait a little bit.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_02: I think so.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_02: I I mean rushing, but then everybody panics.
• 19:40
  SPEAKER_02: Like any of my 2010s back in Western New York, like one or two are committed, and then everybody else is panicked.
• 19:47
  SPEAKER_02: They're like, oh no, and it's like they see everybody around them commit, and they get, oh no, they don't want me, or there goes my favorite school.
• 19:57
  SPEAKER_02: And it's like, just be a little bit patient.
• 19:59
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and do have your own journey, don't focus on elders, you know, and that's the hardest thing to do in this world, especially with social media.
• 20:06
  SPEAKER_01: But yeah, we we that's what I tried to do, and don't get me wrong, like would I love to say that we had four commits right now?
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_01: It would make my life much easier, right?
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_01: But I do think it's important that they come to campus, they meet the some of the team, they see how things are, especially for us because things are changing.
• 20:22
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know, it's not like I think it's different if you've got somewhere that's been there for a number of years and you kind of know how they operate.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_01: It's new here, so we it's important that they see how we're working and what we've got to offer, I think.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_02: How many players did you have like uh Aquinas?
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_01: In the program?
• 20:42
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, did you have two teams?
• 20:43
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, fifty, fifty to fifty-five, depending on the year.
• 20:46
  SPEAKER_02: So now you have to okay.
• 20:48
  SPEAKER_02: Then you spend one year at Western getting used to a roster of 28, and then boom, you're in charge of your own program, and you only got 28 spots.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it feels really easy to manage.
• 21:00
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, really?
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's different, obviously, because they come with different challenges, but the constant it's just different challenges.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_01: Like the the and I had uh so Jenna was actually was did a lot of that the reserve team, so that that that helped too, but just the constant um I guess pressure to bring people in was was tough.
• 21:22
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 21:23
  SPEAKER_01: Um here you get to be a little bit more thought out, methodical, clearing what you want, and you get to do it right, I'd say, which I like.
• 21:31
  SPEAKER_01: Um like I say, I want them to come on campus and spend the day here and go through all of the tours and meet people on the team and take the photos, like I think all that's important.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 21:42
  SPEAKER_01: And when you were recruiting fifty five people, it's not always possible.
• 21:45
  SPEAKER_01: You know, their experience isn't the same.
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_01: So that's that I really like.
• 21:50
  SPEAKER_01: Um and you get to put more when we're actually managing the team itself, you get to put the energy into twenty eight rather than fifty five.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_01: It's just it's just miles better for them, you know.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_02: And did you learn I think it was Luke?
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_02: Was it Luke?
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_02: I think it was Luke.
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_02: He was talking about like you gotta be able to when you were at NAIA, you gotta learn how to sell.
• 22:10
  SPEAKER_02: You gotta learn how to sell the program, the school.
• 22:14
  SPEAKER_02: And did that prepare you to be able to just sell these 16, 17-year-old kids and their families towards coming to Central?
• 22:23
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, definitely.
• 22:24
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that's why I I that's why I'm so excited about the 27 class.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_01: We feel like we've recruited above what our current level is, which is what you need to do.
• 22:34
  SPEAKER_01: Um and yeah, I think NAI uh the acquirance level helped me to do that for sure.
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_01: You know, just learning to be able to show people what you want just them to see and what you're what you are offering, and um, or even you know, the challenge of this year was showing them what we're going to be, not what we are.
• 22:51
  SPEAKER_01: Like that's hard to do, you know.
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_01: And um, so yeah, it definitely gave me the tools to do that.
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_02: Did you sell that?
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_02: Be like, okay, we're kind of it's kind of a clean slate, and we're kind of we're trying to build something, and I mean that's gotta be a selling point to a lot of girls.
• 23:08
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, for sure.
• 23:08
  SPEAKER_02: I know I I know me as a player, I would have wanted that.
• 23:11
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, we sell in that look at what you'll be able to say you've done, you know, like the impact that you'll say you had, you'll have come in, you committed to a program that won one, and then hopefully by the time you leave they've won something, and you get to say you did that, like that's quite quite easy to sell.
• 23:28
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 23:29
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 23:30
  SPEAKER_02: And how okay, so you got 12 for 2027, and you did all of them after January, after December, basically.
• 23:39
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 23:41
  SPEAKER_02: Where are they all from?
• 23:43
  SPEAKER_01: So there is some from Michigan, like I said, we've got um, the Nationals, Girls, Jags.
• 23:48
  SPEAKER_01: Um, we have a girl coming from Cap City actually, from RL, Cali.
• 23:53
  SPEAKER_01: We're excited about.
• 23:54
  SPEAKER_02: Um one of your RL players coming here from Cap from Cap City from Yeah.
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_01: So yes, um, someone I've known about that that old the old nine girls team that they have that Ryan has is good.
• 24:06
  SPEAKER_02: Um and because you know how it is.
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_02: A lot of people think that uh RL, especially like in Western New York where there's only one club, RL, they think it's a death sentence.
• 24:16
  SPEAKER_02: It's like there's a lot of RL girls that are playing D1 all over the country.
• 24:22
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think the one that's going, I think Cammy, who's going to Weston, who came through Plymouth, um RL, is probably one of their most exciting players, you know, coming from uh from that environment, and she's gonna be she's gonna be awesome, I'm sure, of it.
• 24:39
  SPEAKER_01: Um so yeah, I think that that's the other thing.
• 24:41
  SPEAKER_02: You've got to find the diamonds and the rough, you've got to find, you gotta uh leave no stone unturned.
• 24:47
  SPEAKER_02: And you can't just be because a few years ago, some coaches, some club coaches would be like, this coach told me that we only do ECNL, or we're only recruiting ECNL.
• 24:57
  SPEAKER_02: It's like, well then he's gonna miss a lot of players.
• 25:00
  SPEAKER_02: Agreed, agreed.
• 25:02
  SPEAKER_02: And I mean, I don't know, it's frustrating, and and Aaron Bird, I think, used to say that it is for lazy coaches, like the ECNL, just like just relying on ECNL events and only going there and only recruiting those girls.
• 25:18
  SPEAKER_02: It's it's lazy because there's so many back in the day, think about the nationals, they're in the GA and they were great players and tearing up the GA.
• 25:28
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, and even the US YSA, because I mean, what's the most rural state that you have?
• 25:36
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, because I always think about the girls like in Iowa or Ida well, Iowa has, I think, one ECNL club, but like Idaho doesn't have any, I don't think.
• 25:44
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 25:45
  SPEAKER_02: So, like, where do all those girls go?
• 25:47
  SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
• 25:48
  SPEAKER_01: And that it's just they just, you know, it's just different, they just gotta find different ways, right?
• 25:53
  SPEAKER_01: You know, the what we tell our girls and boys at at nationals in our RLs is the ID camps do become more important for you, and um club connection, coach connection is important, and that's what I've I think recruiting is, and I think I learned that from Lewis for sure, is that the connection between me as the CMU coach and the club director or the coach that's what I really value because I trust their input.
• 26:18
  SPEAKER_01: If if we have the trust, then I know that they're sending me a player that I should be excited about and does belong, and I think that's that's more important for those players that aren't at ECNL because like you said, a coach can go and watch 50 teams in a weekend at an event at ECNL, USYS, you're probably not doing that, RL, you're probably not doing that.
• 26:39
  SPEAKER_01: So then it becomes about is your coach connected?
• 26:42
  SPEAKER_01: Um, who's your coach connected to, I think.
• 26:44
  SPEAKER_01: Um and that's what you know, like I think for Cali who's a good example.
• 26:49
  SPEAKER_01: Ryan was uh is someone who I trust and um get along with and um he was the one who reached out to me about her and we brought her to camp and she showed really well, and that's that's where we were, that's how she ended up here.
• 27:02
  SPEAKER_01: Um that's just what it takes if you're not, I think, in ECNL.
• 27:06
  SPEAKER_02: How do you organize like those camps and those ID camps?
• 27:09
  SPEAKER_02: Do you bring in the girls that are already here and have them play against like the top girls, or you just like just watch it's just all the campers and everything?
• 27:20
  SPEAKER_01: So we we've we've um we bring in other college coaches as well, okay.
• 27:26
  SPEAKER_01: Um from different levels.
• 27:27
  SPEAKER_01: So we want our ID camps to be places for all levels.
• 27:31
  SPEAKER_01: So like the last one we had a few weeks ago, um, our girls work it and they help coach and help manage, but uh they don't play.
• 27:38
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 27:39
  SPEAKER_01: Um we had uh Annette from Calvin, Mike from Northwood, uh Mario from Aquinas, and they run training sessions, we run training sessions and then they play, and but we do try to bring in commits.
• 27:50
  SPEAKER_01: So we had two 27 commits at the last one.
• 27:53
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, and that's a real good marker for uh uh Yeah, because you get to see just how they are you can see how they are in that environment, but then also you can see how other players m match up or or stack up against girls that you're already committed to that you want to bring in.
• 28:10
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 28:12
  SPEAKER_02: How okay when you when you first got here, what was like your first order of business just talking to every single player and meeting with them and and just talking to them about their experience basically, or how did you do this?
• 28:25
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so like I said, it was all virtual.
• 28:27
  SPEAKER_01: Um I yeah, I was introduced to them on a Zoom call, and then um we just set up some one-on-ones.
• 28:34
  SPEAKER_01: And um, yeah, I basically just had some I sent them some criteria, just said these are the things that we're gonna talk about.
• 28:39
  SPEAKER_01: Um up to you whether you bring notes or you just I just wanted you to be prepared.
• 28:43
  SPEAKER_01: And I think the questions were what do you want to see stay the same?
• 28:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um, what do you want to see change?
• 28:51
  SPEAKER_01: Um, what do you what are your aspirations for the spring, and I think what are your aspirations long term?
• 28:56
  SPEAKER_01: Um just as like the framework for the conversation, right?
• 29:00
  SPEAKER_01: And it's important to me that the players feel like they have input in the way things work because I think that gets the most buy-in.
• 29:07
  SPEAKER_01: So that's why I asked those questions.
• 29:09
  SPEAKER_01: Um and there was a they varied from training times to I really enjoy this or this meal, you know what I mean?
• 29:19
  SPEAKER_01: Like there was some interesting conversation, but there was a pre-game ritual or something like that.
• 29:23
  SPEAKER_01: Um these standards, um, and some of them were in the where they need to change, and some of them were in the need to stay the same, and the conflict between that was good, but so then what'd you do?
• 29:32
  SPEAKER_02: Like if a girl said, I want this to change, and another girl was talking about the exact same thing, and she's like, I want to keep it, like, how did you um make a team decision?
• 29:43
  SPEAKER_01: I think I ended up like the one that comes to mind was there was a rule here that the I think it was training time, the girls had to be in the locker room 30 minutes before, and half of the group really liked it because it meant that they interacted with each other, and half of them felt like it wasn't necessary or they didn't like it.
• 30:02
  SPEAKER_01: Um I I just I just told them that that doesn't matter to me, like I'm not too worried about 30 minutes before, I'm not gonna value you at late 29 minutes before, but if you're five minutes before, then like now you're late and that's a problem, like that's different.
• 30:16
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, um, so what we did was actually we I think it was two weeks in, we set a meeting in and we went through our we went through standards, um, but it was a discussion.
• 30:27
  SPEAKER_01: So I brought I think it's four of my own, and we're actually having this meeting on Friday with the new group, so it's gonna be fun.
• 30:34
  SPEAKER_01: Um and like mine are like I'm a big stickler for gear, like if with the amount of money we spend on you, you need to re wear the right stuff and it needs to match and um don't lose anything, that kind of thing.
• 30:46
  SPEAKER_01: Uh time management's big communication, I think's the other one, and then we use player pulse, which is uh like a player feedback for how hard the training was or how they're feeling, and they have to do a daily check-in.
• 30:58
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, okay.
• 30:59
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, uh, they were a sponsor for a little bit.
• 31:02
  SPEAKER_02: Matt Danaher?
• 31:03
  SPEAKER_02: Mm-hmm.
• 31:03
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, they're awesome.
• 31:04
  SPEAKER_01: Um so they're those are my like they just have to make sure they hit the check-in in the morning and then they've they give us the feedback after each session.
• 31:12
  SPEAKER_01: I think those are mine um that I need to them to follow.
• 31:16
  SPEAKER_01: I think I have one more, I can't remember what it is.
• 31:18
  SPEAKER_01: And then what we'll do is we'll sit down and the girls will give their own.
• 31:21
  SPEAKER_01: So we like I think it should be that we have to arrive 30 minutes to locker room before training.
• 31:28
  SPEAKER_01: Um and then the girls can discuss whether they agree or disagree, and then we'd also agree on what the ramifications are.
• 31:34
  SPEAKER_01: So if you break this standard, what happens, and we agree on it.
• 31:38
  SPEAKER_01: So like the whole standards are set by all of us rather than just me.
• 31:41
  SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
• 31:42
  SPEAKER_01: Um which I again is the the hope is that it gets the most buy-in.
• 31:45
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 31:46
  SPEAKER_01: And they obviously have to agree to it.
• 31:47
  SPEAKER_02: So with the player poles, uh so basically girls just go in, go into the app and be like, this is where I'm like sore, this is what we did yesterday and whatnot, and then this is just how I'm feeling.
• 32:01
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so it's like it's there's five different metrics, like sleep is one, how well you slept, um, stress levels, fatigue, um mood overall, and it generates uh a readiness score, which basically helps us determine how hard we're gonna work that day, and then there's also so that's the daily check, and then there's a there's a feedback for each session where they basically rate their RPE, so how hard that training was.
• 32:28
  SPEAKER_01: We had the conversation today that they didn't really know what RPE was because yesterday they trained, we were watching them, you know, hands on knees, bent over, breathing heavily, and the average score was a six out of ten.
• 32:39
  SPEAKER_01: I'm like gosh, I don't think you know what ten is.
• 32:41
  SPEAKER_01: Like so we had a better conversation today, but that's the the hope is that it helps us plan training sessions and periodise properly.
• 32:50
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 32:51
  SPEAKER_01: Um there was a there was a concern when I first got here that our players were getting hurt a lot for various different reasons, lots of injuries.
• 32:58
  SPEAKER_01: Some of it was overtraining, some of it was no communication between strength coaches and team coaches.
• 33:05
  SPEAKER_01: Um I think some of it's also mood, like the the whole general feel of the soccer wasn't great, so an injury feels a little bit worse.
• 33:14
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 33:15
  SPEAKER_01: And the point of the like this was something that we I told them that I value, I told the girls that we would invest in.
• 33:22
  SPEAKER_01: Um so this is a way that we can hopefully manage and avoid as many, you know, like muscular injuries as possible.
• 33:30
  SPEAKER_02: When you guys went and played them, you said that they were kind of like I guess checked out, or were they kind of like r uh counting down the days for the season to be over at that point when they're had a struggle that large?
• 33:44
  SPEAKER_01: It was ju I think it was just downbeat, yeah for sure.
• 33:49
  SPEAKER_01: But it actually, if you asked Lewis, I'm sure you say the same, they probably should have scored.
• 33:53
  SPEAKER_01: They should have gone 1-0 up, so they started really, really well.
• 33:56
  SPEAKER_01: Um but as soon as we scored, the energy just dropped.
• 34:00
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 34:00
  SPEAKER_01: So and listen, the again credit to them and um and how they were was the one game they won was the last game of the year.
• 34:09
  SPEAKER_01: So they didn't give up, which is which is impressive.
• 34:12
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 34:13
  SPEAKER_01: Because at that point you haven't won a game in 17.
• 34:17
  SPEAKER_02: Do you know who that was against?
• 34:18
  SPEAKER_02: Eastern.
• 34:19
  SPEAKER_02: It was against Eastern.
• 34:21
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 34:23
  SPEAKER_02: Man.
• 34:24
  SPEAKER_02: So how did the spring go?
• 34:26
  SPEAKER_02: Who did you guys did you you were in the tournament?
• 34:28
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, Spring Cup.
• 34:29
  SPEAKER_02: That Spring Cup, I thought it was a great idea.
• 34:31
  SPEAKER_02: I don't know how many other states do that.
• 34:32
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, I know Bowling Green wasn't was it Bowling Green or Toledo?
• 34:36
  SPEAKER_02: Bowling Green.
• 34:37
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, I love that idea.
• 34:38
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 34:38
  SPEAKER_02: And then, you know, uh Grand Valley, it's the only D2 school, right?
• 34:43
  SPEAKER_02: And then it's everybody else.
• 34:44
  SPEAKER_02: Detroit wasn't in it.
• 34:46
  SPEAKER_01: Grand Valley replaced Detroit, that's why it was a lot of people.
• 34:47
  SPEAKER_02: Grand Valley, Detroit, yeah.
• 34:49
  SPEAKER_02: So who did you play?
• 34:50
  SPEAKER_01: So our side was Michigan, um, Weston and G V.
• 34:55
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 34:56
  SPEAKER_01: And then we played Eastern in the the crossover game, which was seeded at the end.
• 35:00
  SPEAKER_01: So um, no, it was awesome.
• 35:02
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, first of all, not having to schedule those games, just having them scheduled for you is amazing.
• 35:06
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 35:06
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but no, it went really well.
• 35:08
  SPEAKER_01: So we played Weston for well, we we did a Davenport scrimmage early on indoors here, um, like a month before that spring cup started, which was great.
• 35:18
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and then yeah, we played Western, tied 0-0, and they beat us on PKs um at Western.
• 35:26
  SPEAKER_01: We beat Michigan 2-1, and then we lost to Grand Valley, so it was a bit of a roller coaster.
• 35:31
  SPEAKER_01: And then we tied with Eastern 1-1 and lost on PKs, so it was good.
• 35:35
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 35:37
  SPEAKER_02: And then how much okay how at NAIA are there rules of like how many hours you can do a week and everything like that?
• 35:50
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, the training hours are pretty um are pretty laxes.
• 35:54
  SPEAKER_01: There's there's a limit, you can only do three game days, so you can't play as many games.
• 35:58
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 35:58
  SPEAKER_01: But you can train you can train close to the division one level if you have the facilities to do so.
• 36:06
  SPEAKER_01: Um so the challenge at Aquinas wasn't like the restrictions, it was just how busy the facilities were.
• 36:12
  SPEAKER_01: Um But yeah, we we I'd say in the spring, winter, spring seasons, you probably train, it probably goes division one, NAIA, D2, D3, in terms of how much you can train.
• 36:24
  SPEAKER_02: Really?
• 36:24
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 36:25
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 36:26
  SPEAKER_02: Alright, so obviously it's like the 20-hour rule in the spring season, but then okay, so they move the rule and girls can report on June 13th, right?
• 36:39
  SPEAKER_02: Or July 13th.
• 36:40
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 36:40
  SPEAKER_02: July 13th, and then for two weeks, yeah, they get eight hours ten hours, five and five?
• 36:46
  SPEAKER_01: Ten hours of training, five with the strength coach, five skill training with us.
• 36:51
  SPEAKER_01: Got it.
• 36:51
  SPEAKER_02: And then is that all to just prevent the double days and the two, like the absolutely killing them?
• 37:01
  SPEAKER_01: Uh it's definitely the benefit.
• 37:02
  SPEAKER_01: I think um, yeah, it's called the transition period.
• 37:06
  SPEAKER_01: So I think it is just to help acclimate before you really hit it hard.
• 37:10
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 37:11
  SPEAKER_01: Um because you end up so we ended up with a month of preseason before the first real game.
• 37:18
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's awesome.
• 37:18
  SPEAKER_02: That's so much better than how it used to be when you basically get 12 days before your first game, you're killing them.
• 37:25
  SPEAKER_02: Some of them might not come in fit, they're trying to get fit, and then that's when injuries can happen.
• 37:31
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, for sure.
• 37:32
  SPEAKER_02: Or they just kill themselves throughout the the summer, just running themselves in the ground, and then when they get here, they're they're cashed.
• 37:40
  SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
• 37:40
  SPEAKER_01: And then they never recover because you play games and games and games.
• 37:43
  SPEAKER_01: So it's it's it's definitely a great idea.
• 37:45
  SPEAKER_01: I know um it was only women's soccer this year, um, but I would imagine it becomes a men's thing too.
• 37:52
  SPEAKER_01: Oh really?
• 37:53
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 37:53
  SPEAKER_02: I didn't realize that.
• 37:54
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I was thinking it was true just trialed with the women this year.
• 37:57
  SPEAKER_02: I think it's great.
• 37:58
  SPEAKER_02: It's great.
• 37:58
  SPEAKER_02: And hopefully everybody copies it.
• 38:00
  SPEAKER_02: For sure.
• 38:02
  SPEAKER_02: And your first uh okay, you play Illinois August uh August 5th, but that is that an exhibition or is that an actual game?
• 38:09
  SPEAKER_02: No, it's good.
• 38:09
  SPEAKER_02: When's your actual game first game?
• 38:11
  SPEAKER_02: Loyola uh the 12th.
• 38:14
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so that's it is literally a month.
• 38:16
  SPEAKER_02: That's so much better.
• 38:18
  SPEAKER_02: So much better.
• 38:19
  SPEAKER_02: And then how much work were you able to get done in the spring to kind of implement your style and your personality and just how you want the program to go?
• 38:34
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, a lot, I think.
• 38:35
  SPEAKER_01: Um and we're seeing it, you know, they they need some reminders in it here and there, but overall you can see the things that that we wanted to bring, which was you know basically I think if if you take uh you know, obviously I learned a lot from Lewis, and the big thing that I saw from him was that Western played the game faster than everybody else in the conference.
• 38:59
  SPEAKER_01: That was the big difference.
• 39:00
  SPEAKER_01: They transitioned quicker, they um efficiency is the word he used, and that's what they were.
• 39:05
  SPEAKER_01: And the the big difference between the teams that could handle it or close were the ones that could match that intensity.
• 39:13
  SPEAKER_01: Um so really that was the focus was just getting them to play faster, compete a little bit harder.
• 39:20
  SPEAKER_01: Um and I and in my opinion that's a more fun way to play anyway.
• 39:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um and what we've seen from day one is that is there.
• 39:27
  SPEAKER_01: Um the actual football and the you know the style, like that's still taking some time, of course, because 10 new players isn't a lot, but yeah.
• 39:36
  SPEAKER_01: Um overall the drive to compete, the the effort and speed that they're putting into the training's been evident day one.
• 39:44
  SPEAKER_01: So that's that's what the spring really brought.
• 39:46
  SPEAKER_01: And at the end of the day, we'd be as limited as how well that is.
• 39:49
  SPEAKER_02: So how many are brand new July 13th?
• 39:53
  SPEAKER_02: That weren't here in the spring?
• 39:55
  SPEAKER_01: It was it was eleven.
• 39:57
  SPEAKER_01: Eleven.
• 39:57
  SPEAKER_02: It is eleven.
• 39:58
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 39:58
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, so this is like kind of like a sprint too.
• 40:02
  SPEAKER_02: This two period of two well uh well, this month, but then how are you gonna go into that game against like Illinois?
• 40:11
  SPEAKER_02: Is everybody gonna play?
• 40:12
  SPEAKER_02: Or are you gonna see if well you gotta see what they do for sure.
• 40:16
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, are they gonna play everybody or are they just gonna like I'm sure they're gonna play everybody?
• 40:21
  SPEAKER_02: Hopefully.
• 40:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um I think you know we'll we're gonna go in with a plan.
• 40:28
  SPEAKER_01: We started to discuss it between the two games.
• 40:30
  SPEAKER_01: Our two exhibitions are Illinois and Detroit, so there is a good uh balance in that in that uh preseason for sure.
• 40:37
  SPEAKER_01: Um we obviously want to balance giving everybody a chance, but also we play a week later, so we need to also have a game plan in mind and an idea of who's gonna play or what formation we're gonna play and those sorts of things.
• 40:51
  SPEAKER_01: So um I think we're probably you know you'd argue that we're probably doing it the wrong way around.
• 40:56
  SPEAKER_01: You'd want to play the stronger opponent second and build up, but either way, we get a player um you know, go down to Illinois and we're gonna be there for a couple of days and spend some time together and play in their unbelievable facilities, right?
• 41:10
  SPEAKER_01: Um and then come back and play um a game that you would on paper would say is more our level, or the jump may probably the jump we want to make is to get to Detroit's level um this year.
• 41:20
  SPEAKER_01: So it's a good balanced preseason.
• 41:23
  SPEAKER_01: We just gotta figure out how we're gonna give everyone the opportunity whilst also setting ourselves up to be successful against Loyola.
• 41:29
  SPEAKER_02: Do you get to make your non-conference schedule?
• 41:32
  SPEAKER_02: And so you get to just schedule whoever you want.
• 41:34
  SPEAKER_02: It's not the AD or anything like that.
• 41:36
  SPEAKER_02: No, it's yeah, it's coach to coach.
• 41:39
  SPEAKER_02: Good.
• 41:39
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we had some um, you know, you get s we had some contractual obligations from the previous cycles and stuff, but um, yeah, overall the schedule we built, most of it was built by us.
• 41:51
  SPEAKER_01: So we go down to um South Carolina to play Coastal Carolina and Charleston Southern, which we're excited about.
• 41:58
  SPEAKER_01: Um we do host Wisconsin and Cincinnati.
• 42:02
  SPEAKER_02: I have a player at Wisconsin, so I'm thinking about coming up for for that one.
• 42:06
  SPEAKER_01: If you want to skip it, you can skip it.
• 42:09
  SPEAKER_01: But no, we're excited, we're excited to bring them here because that's a those are returns.
• 42:13
  SPEAKER_01: Um yeah, down to Butler, and then we start the conference the 17th.
• 42:17
  SPEAKER_01: So we have an I think we have a nice balanced like non-conference schedule.
• 42:22
  SPEAKER_02: Um in UMass is in your conference now.
• 42:25
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we go to them.
• 42:26
  SPEAKER_02: That is ridiculous.
• 42:27
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I'm sorry.
• 42:28
  SPEAKER_02: But that and but then on the on men's football, you got Sacramento State too.
• 42:33
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it's like what are we doing?
• 42:34
  SPEAKER_01: I know it's crazy.
• 42:35
  SPEAKER_02: You got the University of Massachusetts, then you got Sacramento State.
• 42:40
  SPEAKER_02: But then it's something weird where they're like, they have to pay for everybody's travel to come out to Sacramento State.
• 42:45
  SPEAKER_02: Did you see that?
• 42:46
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, I didn't know that, though.
• 42:47
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so they make sense then they're in the I mean I guess I guess they're doing well financially.
• 42:53
  SPEAKER_02: That's crazy.
• 42:54
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 42:54
  SPEAKER_02: How much did that come into play like when applying for jobs?
• 42:59
  SPEAKER_02: Or were you just like just give me in the door and then worry about uh the funding later?
• 43:05
  SPEAKER_02: Because as you improve the program, the AD is gonna come come and be like, hey, we're gonna give you three more scholarships this this upcoming year or something like that.
• 43:16
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it was defin no, it was definitely a factor because um I'm too competitive.
• 43:22
  SPEAKER_01: Like I I need like I want to win, you know what I mean?
• 43:25
  SPEAKER_01: So You're going for Lewis.
• 43:27
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, oh damn right.
• 43:29
  SPEAKER_01: So um what was really exciting about the process was how much conversation there was about making this a winning program, and it wasn't about you know budget management, it was like these things were important, but it wasn't like oh we like you because you can manage a budget, or we like you because whatever.
• 43:51
  SPEAKER_01: It was you have a winning record and we want this to be a winning program.
• 43:55
  SPEAKER_01: That was very important.
• 43:56
  SPEAKER_01: Because what I I I as much as I want to be a division one head coach And it's amazing.
• 44:01
  SPEAKER_01: I'm super excited about it.
• 44:02
  SPEAKER_01: I'm more excited about the fact that I have a chance to win in the division one level.
• 44:06
  SPEAKER_01: Like that's that's that's what I want.
• 44:08
  SPEAKER_01: Um and I want to challenge Lewis.
• 44:10
  SPEAKER_01: Like I I do, I'm excited about that.
• 44:12
  SPEAKER_01: Um otherwise I just know I wouldn't do the same job, I wouldn't be able to.
• 44:16
  SPEAKER_01: I'm I'm too motivated by results in ego and winning.
• 44:20
  SPEAKER_01: That's that's why I'm here.
• 44:21
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 44:22
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, yeah.
• 44:23
  SPEAKER_02: I was just texting with a like uh a Big Ten coach, and uh I posted something about I wish that program scholarships was a pu was public so that parents would know because everybody thinks that like there's all these fund fully funded 28 scholarship programs, and he was like, There's four.
• 44:47
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 44:48
  SPEAKER_02: I'm like, wait, what?
• 44:49
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, he's like, yeah, there's only like four nationwide on the girls' side that are fully funded.
• 44:56
  SPEAKER_02: And when he started listing off the names, I go, Oh, that kind of makes sense why this coach left here and went there because one is fully funded and the other one's not, and even though it's a huge name, yeah, and it's I and how you divvy it up, that has to be how hard is that?
• 45:17
  SPEAKER_02: How hard is divvying up like, okay, this girl needs this girl we could give her 50, this girl we need to give her as close to full as possible.
• 45:28
  SPEAKER_02: Like, how does that whole progress because then the academics come into play too, because they can get an academic scholarship, and then that allows you to free up some money somewhere else.
• 45:38
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's I think it's probab it's one of the biggest challenges because, like, especially seeing it through this 28 lens now, because we're doing this in the same timeline as everybody else, you're doing this two years out, so you you know what I mean, and yeah, so you know, because obviously you try to do it based on what you believe their value is gonna be for us, but it's so far away, you know, that's the challenge of it, I think.
• 46:00
  SPEAKER_01: Um but what we also try and do is we make sure we want to make sure that we reward returning players too.
• 46:07
  SPEAKER_01: So we definitely want to, you know, we're not trying to spend all of the allotment that we have only on incoming, right?
• 46:13
  SPEAKER_01: We want to reward those that have earned the right to you know have been here and done it, and um that's important too.
• 46:21
  SPEAKER_01: So that's also something that's part of the where did you get where did you pick up that from?
• 46:26
  SPEAKER_02: Or did you just know that that's how it should be done?
• 46:29
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think that was Michael Sue.
• 46:31
  SPEAKER_01: I think he was very always cognizant that he was going to reward performance and value within returning players, and I learned a lot from him.
• 46:41
  SPEAKER_01: He he to like how to run a program.
• 46:43
  SPEAKER_01: Um so yeah, I think that's that's come from him.
• 46:46
  SPEAKER_02: One of my like closest friends growing up, when I was probably 20, 24 years ago, she played here and or um actually she's a little younger than that.
• 46:58
  SPEAKER_02: She played here from oh seven to eleven.
• 47:02
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 47:03
  SPEAKER_02: And she started out as a walk-on.
• 47:06
  SPEAKER_02: By the end of her four years, she was captain, full ride, and just like ran the show.
• 47:14
  SPEAKER_02: She was you know, the most minutes of every player and everything.
• 47:18
  SPEAKER_02: And that's kind of the same thing that you're talking about is just rewarding the returners, yeah, and the people that are loyal.
• 47:26
  SPEAKER_02: Because not everybody's loyal, yeah, especially in this sport now for sure in the transfer portal, and how crazy that is.
• 47:33
  unknown: Man.
• 47:34
  SPEAKER_02: And how many ended up leaving?
• 47:39
  SPEAKER_01: Um we lost five through the la through the May transfer poll.
• 47:46
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 47:46
  SPEAKER_01: Uh two two left before I'd even, you know, when they got here left.
• 47:51
  SPEAKER_01: Um but yeah, I think it was five in the May poll.
• 47:55
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 47:56
  SPEAKER_01: Um And mo most of them.
• 47:59
  SPEAKER_01: And they're all different situations, but there was some that moved home, so some of them don't play, some are still here.
• 48:05
  SPEAKER_01: Um and some have gone on to different schools.
• 48:07
  SPEAKER_02: So Right.
• 48:08
  SPEAKER_02: And then and and people need to know that like sometimes it's mostly just the kids making the decision.
• 48:16
  SPEAKER_02: And then and then sometimes, sure, it's coaching, like, you're gonna have to go into a portal if you wanna if you want to continue to play and and everything.
• 48:24
  SPEAKER_02: And then in my experience with my former players, when they're told to go into the portal, they just stay at the school and then they just and then they just don't play.
• 48:34
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 48:35
  SPEAKER_02: Because they love the school, or they're maybe a junior, and it's like, why am I transferring for one more year?
• 48:40
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, to be behind academically or something.
• 48:42
  SPEAKER_01: Um, yeah, no, it it's it's it's the it's hard.
• 48:47
  SPEAKER_01: It's not an easy part of the job for sure.
• 48:49
  SPEAKER_02: It's like it's basically cutting a kid, and no coach wants to cut a kid ever.
• 48:54
  SPEAKER_02: Um I don't care if it's a 10-year-old or a 22-year-old.
• 48:58
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and that that's you know, and that's this fifth-year thing as well.
• 49:00
  SPEAKER_01: The the roster restriction is the is the challenge.
• 49:03
  SPEAKER_02: Are you telling girls, okay?
• 49:06
  SPEAKER_02: Let's say they're I guess they won't know if they're if they're going to a junior year, they might not know if they want to play the fifth year.
• 49:14
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 49:14
  SPEAKER_02: So are you telling all the seniors to be like, hey, we need to cut down date.
• 49:19
  SPEAKER_02: We we need to know what you want to do.
• 49:22
  SPEAKER_02: If you want to play your fifth year, we need to know.
• 49:26
  SPEAKER_02: Or is it gonna be at some programs it's gonna be like after this you're done?
• 49:32
  SPEAKER_02: But you can't really say that before the season.
• 49:35
  SPEAKER_01: No.
• 49:35
  SPEAKER_02: Because then they'll be checked out, right?
• 49:37
  SPEAKER_01: I think um what we um first of all, we're doing it all individual, right?
• 49:44
  SPEAKER_01: So we're not gonna be able to do that.
• 49:45
  SPEAKER_01: Of course, because you can't uh it's not blanket.
• 49:47
  SPEAKER_01: Some make sense to stay, some don't, based on loads of different factors, um, position or finances, even.
• 49:55
  SPEAKER_01: Um some so what we've what we're basically telling everybody is um let's w let's wait.
• 50:04
  SPEAKER_01: Um as long as what we're what we're what we're doing is we're making sure that we're not setting anybody up, um, like locking anybody into anything.
• 50:13
  SPEAKER_01: Because really, and I've this is what I've told them all, you really don't know me yet.
• 50:17
  SPEAKER_01: Like, yes, you've been up you've been with me for six months, but fall is different, right?
• 50:22
  SPEAKER_01: When there's actual playing time and rost like travel rosters, you may feel different about this whole situation at the end of this this season.
• 50:31
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I want whatever the decision is, we will do it together.
• 50:36
  SPEAKER_02: Um and that goes both ways, exactly.
• 50:38
  SPEAKER_02: So you might change your mind on a player for sure positively or negatively for sure.
• 50:43
  SPEAKER_01: So I don't want to I've tried not to lock lock anything in um because it changed, it changed late, and um I don't think that would be fair to us, that's not fair to the 27 class, because I know that there's a bunch of 27s getting decommitted right now.
• 50:56
  SPEAKER_01: Like I don't want to go down those things.
• 50:59
  SPEAKER_01: I want to yeah, I want to try and take the time that it takes to do this right.
• 51:04
  SPEAKER_01: Now, some of those conversations are gonna be things that people want to hear and some of them aren't, but my only goal is that it's honest and well thought out, not rushed, or you know, I don't want anyone to ever accuse me of lying.
• 51:17
  SPEAKER_02: So do you think that the f the five and five rule is delaying recruitment?
• 51:23
  SPEAKER_02: So obviously there's some of the 27s and all the ballers are kind of already committed, or 28s, yeah, they're already committed and gone.
• 51:33
  SPEAKER_02: But it seems like oh, if you guys are kind of waiting because you don't know what's coming back, you don't know what a transfer portal is gonna look like, and all these fifth years coming around.
• 51:44
  SPEAKER_02: And I think me personally, I think that's only gonna help the sport if girls kind of like we were talking about earlier, is if girls commit commit later because the transfer portal is nuts.
• 51:58
  SPEAKER_02: And why is the transfer portal nuts?
• 52:01
  SPEAKER_02: I personally think it's because you committed when you were uh like barely a junior in high school and you had no idea what you were doing.
• 52:08
  SPEAKER_01: For sure.
• 52:09
  SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
• 52:09
  SPEAKER_01: And I I hope it does do that because I think that that's what it should do.
• 52:12
  SPEAKER_01: Um I think it's too quick.
• 52:14
  SPEAKER_01: I think it's and I understand why it is.
• 52:17
  SPEAKER_01: Um I just don't like it.
• 52:19
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I just don't think it's fair for a 16-year-old to have to commit to something so far out.
• 52:25
  SPEAKER_01: But that's how I'm not gonna change that.
• 52:30
  SPEAKER_01: Um I do hope that it does that.
• 52:31
  SPEAKER_01: I think the bigger the only the the downside I see right now is the decommitment.
• 52:37
  SPEAKER_01: Like I think that's you know, if someone's been committed for a year, because we're now a year into that 27th and getting decommitted, that's hard, especially because realistically the number of spots available has decreased.
• 52:49
  SPEAKER_01: Right, you know, everything's gone.
• 52:50
  SPEAKER_01: I think it's I mean you it's gotta take five years to level itself out, right?
• 52:54
  SPEAKER_01: I I liked the arguments that some people put out there that perhaps there should have been a grandfather of the roster restrictions, yes, and I think that would have made a ton of sense, but that would have cost a lot of money, or just move like uh go from 32 to the 30, then to 28 rather than just 28 right off the bat.
• 53:12
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, because I think that would have affected the kids less, and I think that's you know that's that's what it comes down to.
• 53:19
  SPEAKER_01: Probably would have cost more money.
• 53:21
  SPEAKER_02: So how many girls did you have throughout the spring?
• 53:25
  SPEAKER_01: We were at twenty two.
• 53:26
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, so you got to play 11v11.
• 53:28
  SPEAKER_02: Yep, because not everybody does.
• 53:30
  SPEAKER_01: Well, we have injuries.
• 53:32
  SPEAKER_01: But we only had one goalie, so my assistant Jenna was in goal a lot.
• 53:36
  SPEAKER_01: But yes, we did.
• 53:36
  SPEAKER_01: We we we were we were fortunate.
• 53:38
  SPEAKER_01: The spring was was probably one of the big reasons it was successful was we got to train very well, and our facility here allowed us to do that.
• 53:45
  SPEAKER_02: See like Buffalo, they uh I don't know how it is this year, but a lot of past years they had to bring in like former alumni to come in and train because they don't have enough bodies because they only have 15, most of the time they only have like 15 girls throughout the spring.
• 54:03
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so they're calling anytime they want to play 11v11, trying to get alumni.
• 54:08
  SPEAKER_02: Or I know a lot of schools that are doing the boys thing.
• 54:11
  SPEAKER_02: They're like, hey, any former boys that play, come and be a manager and whatnot.
• 54:18
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, no, I'm glad we didn't have to do that.
• 54:20
  SPEAKER_01: And listen, I you it's probably it's probably the reason Buffalo have been good though, because they have had a bunch of older senior players that have graduated out.
• 54:29
  SPEAKER_01: So I think it probably balances, but yes, I uh it was it was really good to have like full training in the spring.
• 54:36
  SPEAKER_01: Especially because you train a lot without games, so you know it gets pretty mundane, especially if if you are at 12 to 15, you're gonna run out of things to do pretty quick.
• 54:48
  SPEAKER_01: So we got to we got to work on a lot, we got to focus on a lot of things, and and then this spring cup that we talked about brought some competitiveness to the spring.
• 54:57
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it made them matter.
• 54:59
  SPEAKER_01: It was awesome.
• 54:59
  SPEAKER_02: Um but did you still like kind of like play everybody?
• 55:02
  SPEAKER_02: Did everybody play everybody?
• 55:04
  SPEAKER_02: Or did it sound like Michigan State tried to win the whole thing?
• 55:08
  SPEAKER_01: Well they probably could have done that with everybody, so um we did, we didn't.
• 55:14
  SPEAKER_01: Um and the part of that was we would we told everybody that we knew there'd be some movement.
• 55:20
  SPEAKER_01: That was there was going to be movement in the roster.
• 55:23
  SPEAKER_01: Um it's just the nature of it.
• 55:25
  SPEAKER_01: We gave there was always opportunity, and and everybody played in the Davenport game, for example.
• 55:31
  SPEAKER_01: Of course.
• 55:32
  SPEAKER_01: But no, we we we played to win the games because I wanted we we were judging on how players could handle that.
• 55:38
  SPEAKER_01: That was important to us.
• 55:40
  SPEAKER_01: So um no, we trade we treated them as as as real as they could be, you know, the last 15-20 maybe we were rotated a bit more than we normally would, but overall we played it to to win.
• 55:51
  SPEAKER_02: How hard is that in recruiting?
• 55:53
  SPEAKER_02: It's like no when like the chip when the chips are down, and like you have to like really like dig deep.
• 56:00
  SPEAKER_02: Like, how hard is that to recruit?
• 56:02
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think that that's where I think it's about the person, the coach connection, because they're the one who can really tell you.
• 56:08
  SPEAKER_01: Um you know, the video helps see what they what they want you to see, going and watching them play a game, and then you need to get lucky, probably you need to get lucky that that game's hard, because a lot of games aren't.
• 56:22
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 56:22
  SPEAKER_01: Um so I then I think it becomes down to that, and then I I really value the in the in-campus, like on campus visits because the conversations that I have the girls have with our pla with our players, and you know, are the assistants showing them around.
• 56:39
  SPEAKER_01: We are judging how they how they respond to those things.
• 56:42
  SPEAKER_01: How quiet are you, and how much of your personality do you show in that way, and how even how well prepared are you, and um I think that's important, you know.
• 56:53
  SPEAKER_01: I think and some of those are done on the phone early as well.
• 56:56
  SPEAKER_01: Like there's been times where we've moved on from a player because the phone call between either me and them or me, them, and then the assistants have called them, and that conversation's not been what we hoped it would be, so we've just moved on, and then you just all notice the exact same thing, and and then when you guys see eye to eye, it's like okay, we're moving on.
• 57:16
  SPEAKER_01: Because we aren't in a position right now to ha to to develop to nurture that out of them.
• 57:21
  SPEAKER_01: We need impact.
• 57:22
  SPEAKER_01: That's what we need.
• 57:23
  SPEAKER_01: Our 27 class needed to be impactful, so we need a personality.
• 57:28
  SPEAKER_02: It takes personality to do that, and you want to see that personality, and you and you want to play hopefully you're a type of player that plays with your personality, with that same type of personality.
• 57:37
  SPEAKER_02: Like if you're outgoing and like and talkative and um maybe humor or maybe sarcasm, yeah.
• 57:45
  SPEAKER_02: Hopefully you play like that as well.
• 57:47
  SPEAKER_02: Agreed, and not try to hide who you are.
• 57:50
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we don't want we actually had this conversation today with uh some of our freshmen.
• 57:54
  SPEAKER_01: Like, we don't want you to be who you think we want you.
• 57:58
  SPEAKER_01: We want you to be you and show us who you are.
• 58:00
  SPEAKER_01: There are four freshmen on this team who we didn't I didn't recruit.
• 58:04
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm getting to know you right now.
• 58:06
  SPEAKER_01: I need you to show us who you are.
• 58:08
  SPEAKER_01: I don't want you to show us who you think we want you to be.
• 58:11
  SPEAKER_01: That's not what we want.
• 58:12
  SPEAKER_01: We want you to be you.
• 58:14
  SPEAKER_01: Um that's a big philosophy that we have is that we want we try to bring the best out of you rather than you having to morph yourself to what the formation we play or whatever.
• 58:26
  SPEAKER_01: Um, because we believe that the best version of that player is gonna be who they are.
• 58:32
  SPEAKER_02: And we I we talk about this like in every episode with a college coach, is that that transition from club where you are playing every minute, you're probably one of the top players, and you kind of maybe got your way the last like four years.
• 58:48
  SPEAKER_02: For sure.
• 58:51
  SPEAKER_02: That environment allows you to be you, but then when you come in here and there's a girl that's 23 and you're 18, or 22 and you're 18, you're a little timid at first.
• 59:03
  SPEAKER_02: For sure.
• 59:04
  SPEAKER_02: And you're like, where's that girl that was at that where's that club girl that that got recruited for some reason?
• 59:11
  SPEAKER_02: For sure.
• 59:11
  SPEAKER_02: And you attracted uh even though he's not here or she's not here anymore, they were attracted to you for some reason, and they wanted you for this role or this team.
• 59:23
  SPEAKER_02: Man, how how much, like, if you are going in and it's what it is the 28th, how much of your season is obviously periodization and everything, how much is like uh drawn out already?
• 59:38
  SPEAKER_02: Like, this is what we're gonna be working on this week, this week, but then is it as soon as games start, that's when you got to think about more recovery.
• 59:47
  SPEAKER_02: And do you build in recovery throughout that schedule too?
• 59:51
  SPEAKER_02: And part of the periodization and everything like that, yeah.
• 59:53
  SPEAKER_01: And that that tracks why the transition periods help because they have to have so much time off.
• 59:58
  SPEAKER_01: You know, like we haven't trained over either weekend, so they've had a full weekend off.
• 1:00:01
  SPEAKER_03: That's good.
• 1:00:02
  SPEAKER_01: So that helps as well.
• 1:00:03
  SPEAKER_01: Obviously, tomorrow we start the real um season.
• 1:00:06
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so now we have to plan it.
• 1:00:08
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but yes, it's something we're mindful of.
• 1:00:10
  SPEAKER_01: Um, because the worst thing we can do is just injure them because we overtrain.
• 1:00:17
  SPEAKER_01: Um so yes, we build that in.
• 1:00:18
  SPEAKER_01: I think, yeah, we we probably have, I probably have mapped out till Loyola, till the August 12th, of what I think we will focus on.
• 1:00:26
  SPEAKER_01: It may change based on how our internal scrimmage goes, um, how Illinois goes, like they may adapt, but in general, we have you know, like um this this week we're focusing on how how we attack, last week we focused on how we defend, next week it's gonna be a little bit more games stuff because we'll have then picked, we don't know what formation we're playing yet, we'll have picked that by then.
• 1:00:51
  SPEAKER_01: Um like that's all mapped out once we get to real games.
• 1:00:55
  SPEAKER_01: I think it's reactive based on what we're seeing.
• 1:00:57
  SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
• 1:00:58
  SPEAKER_02: And what needs to be fixed, what can we just improve that's really working and just sharpen even?
• 1:01:05
  SPEAKER_02: You just said defen uh defending first and then uh uh attacking.
• 1:01:10
  SPEAKER_02: Do you always start with defending first?
• 1:01:13
  SPEAKER_02: I have me personally, whenever I got a new team or was in a new environment or the new season, that first week for me was always defending because I felt I felt like I want the ball when I and anybody uh wants the ball.
• 1:01:33
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 1:01:33
  SPEAKER_02: And I think that's so much harder than defending.
• 1:01:37
  SPEAKER_02: And I'm a goalkeeper by heart, and so I think that uh I could get so much done in that first week with defending that all we need throughout the season is little tweaks to to go back to like our foundation.
• 1:01:51
  SPEAKER_02: Whereas with the ball, that uh they're so much more complicated, and it's so much more complication for the players and everything.
• 1:02:00
  SPEAKER_02: Is that how you've always done your season stuff?
• 1:02:03
  SPEAKER_01: No, I think I that's another one I picked up from Lewis.
• 1:02:06
  SPEAKER_01: In fact, I think I argued with him about it.
• 1:02:08
  SPEAKER_01: Um we're doing too much defending or whatever, but I because the complication and the detail of attacking is what I am I love coaching, like I'm excited about it.
• 1:02:19
  SPEAKER_01: It's like let's get it.
• 1:02:21
  SPEAKER_01: And then so then when we sat down about this year, we was we're gonna get this defending down because we need to be very hard to beat, that's what we've decided we want to be.
• 1:02:31
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 1:02:32
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and like we talked about, we need to be intense and and all that sort of stuff.
• 1:02:37
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so we went we wanted to make sure our defensive foundation was set.
• 1:02:40
  SPEAKER_01: The other part of it was also that there's an a natural excitement and energy to the first week of training that you somewhat lose at some point because it gets a little you know, you overtrain, you're exhausted, tired, fatigued, no games for a whip for a little bit.
• 1:02:55
  SPEAKER_01: We wanted that energy to go into the defending first, and then if we we felt like we would be able to bring the energy out when you're attacking, when you're working on attacking, you're naturally more engaged in it, you want you're excited about it.
• 1:03:05
  SPEAKER_01: So it was also something that we thought about as in just in terms of how mental fatigue, I guess.
• 1:03:11
  SPEAKER_01: Um so we was it was a conversation that we all had, and that was why we ended up coming that way.
• 1:03:16
  SPEAKER_01: I'd had never thought about it before Lewis, so that's another one Lewis can take credit for.
• 1:03:21
  SPEAKER_01: But yes, it was it it he opened my eyes to we should do this first.
• 1:03:26
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's yeah, it it's it's has to be it's the most pivotal, is how we defend.
• 1:03:34
  SPEAKER_01: Um but the most important thing that we've done, and again, this is this I think I always did, but Lewis was a big one, was every single activity, every single day, we always will have transition.
• 1:03:47
  SPEAKER_01: We will always train transition because that's the game.
• 1:03:51
  SPEAKER_03: Absolutely.
• 1:03:52
  SPEAKER_01: You can be really good defenders and a defensive team, you can have really good attacking lineups and shapes and ideas, but if you lose the the times between, you will lose more more often than not.
• 1:04:03
  SPEAKER_01: And that's that's something that we've been very intentional with this year.
• 1:04:06
  SPEAKER_02: How much how much have you guys played already?
• 1:04:10
  SPEAKER_01: 11v11?
• 1:04:11
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 1:04:12
  SPEAKER_01: Once.
• 1:04:13
  SPEAKER_02: Because most of it's just small-sided, and you want that transition.
• 1:04:16
  SPEAKER_02: Obviously, in 11v11, there's less transition than if you were playing 4v4 or 5v5.
• 1:04:22
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 1:04:22
  SPEAKER_01: And um, and obviously the physical demands of smaller sided is higher.
• 1:04:26
  SPEAKER_02: So for exactly, so we're trying to get fit while playing.
• 1:04:29
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 1:04:30
  SPEAKER_02: Right?
• 1:04:30
  SPEAKER_02: I remember was it Josie Mourinho or it was uh like goose hitting?
• 1:04:36
  SPEAKER_02: Back in the day, he always it was known that he always had the most fit teams in the World Cup, Goose Hitting.
• 1:04:42
  SPEAKER_02: And uh it was like South Korea in 2002, and he would always do like he would start with 1v1s, and then 2v2s and 3v3s, and then 4v4s, and it would be like 1v1 for one minute on, one minute off, and then 2v2 for 2 on, 2 off, 3v3, 4v4, and it'd be all the way up, and then it's like that's the fitness, yeah.
• 1:05:05
  SPEAKER_02: But and then what I would always tell my college players is like, or especially freshmen going into their first year, they're running themselves in the ground, but they're not playing.
• 1:05:18
  SPEAKER_02: I'm like, you want to make sure that you're sharp, you want to make sure that you're technically like aware and tactically aware, and you're all your decision making is slower if you're exhausted.
• 1:05:27
  SPEAKER_02: So be careful just running yourself in the ground.
• 1:05:30
  SPEAKER_02: What are your like fitness tests and fitness demands what right when they get here?
• 1:05:34
  SPEAKER_02: Or do you not do them right away?
• 1:05:35
  SPEAKER_01: No, we do do it right away, and we do it right away because um one, we want them to know that they put the work in.
• 1:05:45
  SPEAKER_01: I think it's an important thing to know.
• 1:05:47
  SPEAKER_01: Um two, it's that we want to make sure that there's the there's the physical value, but I think we what we found this year is there are plenty of people that have failed the test um or are continuing to work to pass it.
• 1:06:00
  SPEAKER_01: The score that we've asked them to do, but are not like physically can handle training, which is what tells me that the mental side of the test is way higher and more important than people maybe value.
• 1:06:12
  SPEAKER_01: So it's also a good mental test to see because I've had a conversation with the player.
• 1:06:17
  SPEAKER_01: Like, can you like I I I'm so annoyed at how the test went, I psyched myself out and I said, Well, you're gonna have to figure out how to do that because how can I trust you to handle playing against Wisconsin at home when there's gonna be hopefully a couple hundred people watching, and that's high intense, but you can't run 20 yards there and back, right?
• 1:06:35
  SPEAKER_01: You know what I mean?
• 1:06:36
  SPEAKER_01: So there's that element to it as well.
• 1:06:38
  SPEAKER_01: Um but we we do the test, we have it, we have it mapped out three times.
• 1:06:42
  SPEAKER_01: So they run it when they arrive, they're gonna run it this Friday, um, and they're gonna run it sorry, two more, so four, two more.
• 1:06:50
  SPEAKER_01: One one before we play uh Loyola, so one before we start the season, and then one before we start conference.
• 1:06:58
  SPEAKER_01: And the hope is that we're training them properly that the numbers are continuing to grow.
• 1:07:02
  SPEAKER_01: So even those that have passed our test score are continuing to get fitter, and so it's also a little bit for us to show this is where their base came in from what they worked on, and then this is how we've improved every single player so that Elijah, who's our strength coach, and I can sit down and make sure we're working well together, where the periodization is working.
• 1:07:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um, like we want I want to know that information to get better as a coach as well.
• 1:07:28
  SPEAKER_02: How much lifting are the girls going to be doing?
• 1:07:30
  SPEAKER_01: In season?
• 1:07:31
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 1:07:32
  SPEAKER_01: Three three night three mornings with with Elijah, so we play Thursdays and Sundays.
• 1:07:38
  SPEAKER_01: They'll lift Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday.
• 1:07:42
  SPEAKER_02: And also and it obviously varies.
• 1:07:44
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, it's not like they're all doing like PRs and everything like that.
• 1:07:50
  SPEAKER_02: It's mostly mobility and stuff like that.
• 1:07:53
  SPEAKER_01: Especially later on for sure.
• 1:07:55
  SPEAKER_02: And it's like and I hear some horror stories from like some of my former like college players that they're like, it's all Olympic lift.
• 1:08:05
  SPEAKER_02: And it's like, where's the sports science?
• 1:08:08
  SPEAKER_02: Do you guys have anything with like sports science at all in terms of maybe running mechanics or uh some kind of mechanical, like just uh or fit um what's the word?
• 1:08:20
  SPEAKER_02: Just like pliability and movement and making sure that your body is just well in tuned and not just going for the m heaviest weight.
• 1:08:29
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so this this new so Elijah is new for us.
• 1:08:32
  SPEAKER_01: He's actually I think he's gonna be a GA, but um it's his first time with a sport of his own.
• 1:08:38
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 1:08:39
  SPEAKER_01: Um so we sat down, he came like midway through the spring.
• 1:08:42
  SPEAKER_01: He joined the program and um got to know the girls, and we sat down in the summer, and the my uh questions to him were pretty simple to what you said, like what are we going to be doing, and do you have this mapped out for the season?
• 1:08:55
  SPEAKER_01: And we came to between us to basically we have three cycles.
• 1:08:59
  SPEAKER_01: So there's a a conditioning cycle, so which is what they're in right now, which is all just about making sure they can physically handle the demands of playing 11v11 soccer, there's a performance cycle, which is about improving the metrics of agility and explosion and being able to perform at a higher level, and then there's the maintenance or mobility phase, which is basically keep them fit and healthy.
• 1:09:23
  SPEAKER_01: Um so we've gone with it in that in that mindset.
• 1:09:27
  SPEAKER_01: Um but the really cool thing about him was he watched all the World Cup games and he's watching the athletic movements that they make.
• 1:09:35
  SPEAKER_01: He's not a shockey guy, he says, I don't really know the sport, so I watch the sport and I'm watching how they decelerate and and what different what actions they often do, and he's built that into his programming.
• 1:09:46
  SPEAKER_01: So, like I wouldn't say I'd say that's rare, you know.
• 1:09:49
  SPEAKER_01: I think that he's taken the sport itself and and built his program off it.
• 1:09:54
  SPEAKER_02: Right, because a lot of people just take their program and put it in the sport, yeah, and he's he's tailored it.
• 1:09:59
  SPEAKER_01: Like, for example, two days ago, um first of all, he's been at every one of our training sessions, which is amazing.
• 1:10:06
  SPEAKER_01: So and he came, so Keaton, the goalkeeper coach, took him over and said, like, these are the things that goalkeepers have to be able to do that defenders don't, and he's tailoring his exercises for the goalkeeper, so they have a slightly modified routine, and I think that's important.
• 1:10:24
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, like I'd say we're really, really lucky that he's this engaged and this excited and putting this much detail into it, um, and hopefully it pays off, obviously.
• 1:10:34
  SPEAKER_02: But one of my boys, uh, he was like a centre back, and he's like, Why do we have to run the same fitness test as a centre mid or the wingers?
• 1:10:43
  SPEAKER_02: He's like, This is ridiculous.
• 1:10:44
  SPEAKER_02: It's like only the goalkeepers get to get out of like their normal like fitness tests.
• 1:10:49
  SPEAKER_02: It's like you kind of have a point, yeah, yeah.
• 1:10:52
  SPEAKER_02: Uh but uh yeah, I mean, but that would be so much more work for you guys.
• 1:10:56
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and I think yeah, I I I I'd be I'd you know I'd be interested to have the conversation, but I think the the problem is if you look at it, I think there isn't that much difference, right?
• 1:11:06
  SPEAKER_01: You know, between obviously centre mids probably run more and they're probably continuously running more, but then a centre back still covers as much ground, but maybe it's just in a different way, right?
• 1:11:17
  SPEAKER_01: So, like being able to modify the tests would be so much work, right?
• 1:11:22
  SPEAKER_01: And and the fact that you know the Premier League's not doing uh that I know of is not doing that, that you know I've heard of people maybe having different scores for different positions, right?
• 1:11:31
  SPEAKER_01: I don't believe in that either.
• 1:11:33
  SPEAKER_01: I think you would lose I don't know, I think the female players wouldn't wouldn't buy into that.
• 1:11:38
  SPEAKER_01: I think it's like a team thing that we are gonna hit this number, um we're gonna do that collectively.
• 1:11:44
  SPEAKER_01: I think that's the way that they operate.
• 1:11:45
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 1:11:46
  SPEAKER_01: So I wouldn't change it for players, but we do have a goalkeepers that are a different score, they're a little bit low because running isn't what they do, so right.
• 1:11:54
  SPEAKER_02: How how old do you think that you already know the Mac?
• 1:11:57
  SPEAKER_02: I know that you spent one year.
• 1:11:59
  SPEAKER_02: Do you think you know, like, okay, this is what Sean likes to do at Buffalo, and this is what Andy does at Ball State, and like that type of stuff, or I mean you know Lewis the best, obviously.
• 1:12:11
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, um is that the game that's like circled the most?
• 1:12:14
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, right, it's late as well.
• 1:12:16
  SPEAKER_01: Um yeah, I think um I'd say quite well.
• 1:12:21
  SPEAKER_01: Um not as well as I'd want to, and I will, but I think I've got at least a mind, like an idea of what I would expect.
• 1:12:31
  SPEAKER_01: Um Keaton, of course, has been in the conference for a long time as well, yeah, um, which helps.
• 1:12:37
  SPEAKER_01: Um but I think it's it's you know it's also important, and I you know I had this conversation at Weston a couple of times, like as much as we know about people from the past, it is still always a different year.
• 1:12:50
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 1:12:50
  SPEAKER_01: There's always different people.
• 1:12:51
  SPEAKER_01: Either maybe even play the same way, but they'll have a different quality player, or maybe one a strength has become a weakness because of a player that graduated or left.
• 1:12:59
  SPEAKER_01: So I think it's also I don't know you could argue you know too much, so you get a little bit oh yeah, you know, you take a little bit, you're too confident going into oh, I know how they're gonna play.
• 1:13:10
  SPEAKER_02: And then they change, and then you panic.
• 1:13:12
  SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
• 1:13:13
  SPEAKER_02: Which I honestly think that's what happened to the US men's national team in the World Cup against Belgium.
• 1:13:19
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 1:13:19
  SPEAKER_02: Because I think that we like we prepared for Belgium, and then they don't start Doku, they don't start you know De Bruyne, and it's like wait, where where are those two?
• 1:13:31
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and the problem was I uh my opinion of the world because I know it's a hot topic, um, was you came up against uh a country that has players that play the highest levels, yeah.
• 1:13:43
  SPEAKER_02: So they could adapt.
• 1:13:44
  SPEAKER_02: And we can and we cannot.
• 1:13:45
  SPEAKER_01: Because the just because not maybe not the quality of the player, but just like the quality of the environments that they've been in and the games that they've played in, you know, um and obviously Poolis it was never it wasn't really himself this year, but you know, when you've got even like Tielemans for uh Belgium and De Bruyne, obviously, who've played in the biggest games on the biggest stage, those are real footballers who can adapt to whatever you give them.
• 1:14:12
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 1:14:12
  SPEAKER_01: It felt to me like the US game plan had one game plan, and if it didn't work, like you said too big the moment was just too big.
• 1:14:18
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 1:14:19
  SPEAKER_01: Um but I I I don't know, I've watched US now for 15 years engaged.
• 1:14:25
  SPEAKER_01: Uh it was still the most excited I've been about them.
• 1:14:28
  SPEAKER_01: Um so I think there's still a lot to be hopeful for.
• 1:14:31
  SPEAKER_01: It was just put into perspective that there's still a long, long way to go for the whole sport.
• 1:14:36
  SPEAKER_02: At what time did you like say, okay, women's soccer?
• 1:14:40
  SPEAKER_02: And not chase the men's game?
• 1:14:42
  SPEAKER_01: Probably when when the Aquinas job opened.
• 1:14:46
  SPEAKER_01: Um and to be fair, Nick the AD at the time, he had he asked me the question said you know if you make this decision you you will not go back.
• 1:14:55
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's not possible to move from women to men.
• 1:14:58
  SPEAKER_01: Um, which he was right about it.
• 1:15:00
  SPEAKER_01: That's definitely in the college game.
• 1:15:01
  SPEAKER_02: So you think that it's easy well, I know it's easier.
• 1:15:04
  SPEAKER_02: So it's so that happens.
• 1:15:07
  SPEAKER_02: Men to women happens, yeah.
• 1:15:10
  SPEAKER_02: But then women back to men.
• 1:15:12
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I don't know many times.
• 1:15:14
  SPEAKER_02: I don't think it's that's what Anson Dorrance did.
• 1:15:16
  SPEAKER_02: Anson Dorance was men, yeah, and then did men and women, and then went to women and never went back.
• 1:15:22
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 1:15:23
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that I Huh.
• 1:15:25
  SPEAKER_01: And I I mean I coach I'm coach I coached Lansing City in the USL too this summer, and it is drastically different.
• 1:15:32
  SPEAKER_01: Um how'd you guys do?
• 1:15:33
  SPEAKER_01: Well, not great.
• 1:15:36
  SPEAKER_01: Um we did okay, it was uh like a rebuild yeah, but um you know the it it it's so different.
• 1:15:44
  SPEAKER_01: Um obviously it's the same sport, it's you can do the same sessions, but you you I talk you talk in a different way, you focus on different things, like the little the new the nuances and the differences, the details are so different in from that's what separates them.
• 1:16:00
  SPEAKER_01: And um they're just different skills.
• 1:16:02
  SPEAKER_01: That's that's that's what it comes down to.
• 1:16:04
  SPEAKER_01: Like I think Luke's I think Luke is a uh rough is an amazing men's coach, and I've actually seen him be very successful with like girls' teams, and that's actually what his youth club was, was really, really good uh female soccer players.
• 1:16:17
  SPEAKER_01: But I know that he's just tuned to be a men's coach.
• 1:16:21
  SPEAKER_01: He just is.
• 1:16:21
  SPEAKER_01: I don't I don't know how to describe it, like he's just wired to connect with a map with a male footballer differently, and that's why you if he wanted to be he could be very, very successful in college.
• 1:16:31
  SPEAKER_01: He is very successful at youth because he's very good at bringing out the best of uh a men's soccer player.
• 1:16:37
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 1:16:38
  SPEAKER_01: Lewis is arguably the opposite, it's just just different What do you think?
• 1:16:43
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, how much more uh personally like how much bigger do you think your personal relationship is when it's women's versus men?
• 1:16:56
  SPEAKER_02: Because women want to know that you like care.
• 1:17:00
  SPEAKER_02: Men don't care.
• 1:17:01
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah for the mo for the for most part for the most part.
• 1:17:04
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 1:17:05
  SPEAKER_01: I I think I think in general, I feel like men is more about the man and the internal and the ego and the player, and the women it is just more about the team.
• 1:17:20
  SPEAKER_01: Collective.
• 1:17:21
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 1:17:21
  SPEAKER_01: Like they they it's much harder to get a a a player, a female player, in my opinion, to be the person who takes the responsibility, be the best player, wants to because it's like that personality thing that you were talking about.
• 1:17:33
  SPEAKER_01: And it's hard to get men through the opposite, it's hard to get men to put their ego aside to I was this way.
• 1:17:38
  SPEAKER_01: I wanted to be I needed to be the best player, you know what I mean?
• 1:17:40
  SPEAKER_01: And I think those are the differences.
• 1:17:42
  SPEAKER_02: Um, because girls most girls, they don't want to be that girl, they don't want to be the bitch that it like is always yelling and be like, girl, like get on a teammate and stuff like that.
• 1:17:59
  SPEAKER_02: Whereas if you're truly that, we want to see that.
• 1:18:03
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, we want that, and it's uh it's okay to be that.
• 1:18:08
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and a lot of girls need uh it's almost like they almost need permission to be like, or somebody to tell them, it's like, hey, that's okay.
• 1:18:15
  SPEAKER_02: Like we want you to be a leader on this team and all that.
• 1:18:19
  SPEAKER_02: How did you do that when you when you got here?
• 1:18:22
  SPEAKER_02: Is like with leadership and and the leadership group, and how do you wanted to organize that?
• 1:18:28
  SPEAKER_02: Was it captains or what do you do?
• 1:18:30
  SPEAKER_01: So there were captains and we took them away immediately just because we wanted to start fresh.
• 1:18:35
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, and we made the decision not to have them.
• 1:18:37
  SPEAKER_01: So we don't have captains this year, which is my f my first time doing it.
• 1:18:41
  SPEAKER_01: Um it was I I I got it from it's Jeff at MSU.
• 1:18:46
  SPEAKER_01: I know he I don't know if he does it anymore, but he didn't used to.
• 1:18:49
  SPEAKER_01: And I listened to a podcast he did talking about why, and it just made me think about it.
• 1:18:53
  SPEAKER_01: And uh quietness, I always struggled with captains because I f I just would get so frustrated that it felt like the topic of conversation was always who's the next captain or who's gonna be captain, and it became like a popularity contest, and not not about like it wasn't like not about I wanna le I want to follow her.
• 1:19:12
  SPEAKER_01: I just yeah, and it's like I like her, yes, and then the other part of it that I found was it's like a scapegoat.
• 1:19:19
  SPEAKER_01: Like people come in when something's gone wrong and say, Yeah, I just don't feel like I have the leadership.
• 1:19:25
  SPEAKER_01: My captains aren't doing this.
• 1:19:26
  SPEAKER_01: It's like well that then you do it, you lead.
• 1:19:29
  SPEAKER_01: So I want I want to take that excuse away.
• 1:19:31
  SPEAKER_01: So we're trying it this year with no captains.
• 1:19:33
  SPEAKER_01: We have leadership groups and we have shared responsibility, um, but yeah, we haven't got any specific captains.
• 1:19:41
  SPEAKER_01: Now there are obviously going to be people that we lean on for um various things like organizationally and stuff, but right, but that's I think I think that's the way to do it personally.
• 1:19:52
  SPEAKER_01: I'll be able to tell you then the season hopefully it works.
• 1:19:55
  SPEAKER_02: I know, but like, because how many I've been in environments where like somebody that's not the captain tried to say something, yeah, and then a captain kind of like jumps on the throes, like you're not you're not the captain, I am.
• 1:20:09
  SPEAKER_02: And it's like, no, that's not what we want.
• 1:20:12
  SPEAKER_02: We want anybody who wants to say something, let them say that.
• 1:20:15
  SPEAKER_02: And I think that builds a safer environment than somebody that's scared to say something.
• 1:20:22
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, exactly.
• 1:20:23
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that there are so many different, especially in college when we're together all the time, there need so many different types of leaders.
• 1:20:32
  SPEAKER_01: So then you end up with lead we have five captains.
• 1:20:35
  SPEAKER_01: It's like are you captains anymore when there's that many?
• 1:20:38
  SPEAKER_01: Like what what we want it to be, what we hope will happen, and we've seen we have seen it happen in the spring, is that when something comes up that requires leadership, somebody steps up, somebody fills the fills the role, not somebody because they're expected to, but because they feel like they can or they recognize it themselves.
• 1:20:57
  SPEAKER_01: That's what we hope.
• 1:20:58
  SPEAKER_01: Um there'll be some obviously the the negative of it is like we don't have anybody to go directly to or expect it from, but we're just gonna hope that it gets demanded from the group.
• 1:21:08
  SPEAKER_01: And like I said, we had an issue in the spring, something happened within the group, and a freshman organized a meeting and led a meeting that's like that's exactly what we want.
• 1:21:18
  SPEAKER_01: That's what we want.
• 1:21:18
  SPEAKER_01: So hopefully it continues.
• 1:21:21
  SPEAKER_01: And then it just happens naturally, it's not like you said, a popularity contest or what and there's no expectation of it, there's no pressure because the other thing that we found was we're giving people the responsibility of captain, and then they change because they think that that's what a captain needs to be, or that's what I needed to be, or this is who was who my captain was, and they were like this.
• 1:21:39
  SPEAKER_02: It's like you completely changed, that's not who we saw.
• 1:21:43
  SPEAKER_01: So we just hope that again it just goes back to that.
• 1:21:46
  SPEAKER_01: But what all we're trying to do is make them the best version of themselves, don't change, just be you and enhance the best of you.
• 1:21:53
  SPEAKER_01: Hopefully, this helps part of that as well.
• 1:21:55
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 1:21:56
  SPEAKER_02: How do you get them to do that?
• 1:21:58
  SPEAKER_02: How do you get them to just be themselves?
• 1:22:00
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, outside of just like talking to them about it, just like just give them some room to just like okay, you guys just go away and be together and just see.
• 1:22:13
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, hopefully, I mean it's the environment, right?
• 1:22:15
  SPEAKER_01: It's the that buzzword culture, but hopefully it's it's just allowed.
• 1:22:20
  SPEAKER_01: And when what what we've had to do is catch things like um like there was a moment in the spring that we don't do that um was said to something that I can't remember the moment, it's a um it would help if I could, but the response back was that's not how we we we don't we don't tell people not to like speak that way or like we let people be themselves and we catch things and we we hold people accountable, but don't tell somebody they can't be them, you know what I mean.
• 1:22:49
  SPEAKER_01: You have to change, that's what we're trying to avoid.
• 1:22:51
  SPEAKER_01: Um but I think it just will just come from consistency and it will go wrong and it'll be how we handle it when it goes wrong, I think.
• 1:22:59
  SPEAKER_01: Um and that might be on the field, it might be off, but we'll see.
• 1:23:03
  SPEAKER_02: Um and then that allows like any player to just come to you at any time and feel comfortable with whatever they want to talk about because they don't uh it's not like well this because I've seen this structure where if you have an issue, you go to your captain first, or you go to your leadership uh counselor thing, and then and then you go to the assistant coach and then you come to me.
• 1:23:30
  SPEAKER_02: It's like I don't really know if that's like the best.
• 1:23:34
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, maybe it works some places, but if if me personally, I would rather have just like if you need to talk to me, talk to me.
• 1:23:42
  SPEAKER_02: If you wanna if you are better talking to an assistant, talk to the assistant.
• 1:23:46
  SPEAKER_02: If you want to talk to a senior, talk to a senior.
• 1:23:49
  SPEAKER_02: But like, yeah, it's all game, it's all fair, like whoever you want to talk to, talk just go and talk to.
• 1:23:54
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think I'm gonna be more frustrated or even angry if there's somebody that if there's a c there's a relationship that people feel like they can't communicate with somebody.
• 1:24:05
  SPEAKER_01: I think that's the part that'll be the worst thing for the team, especially me.
• 1:24:08
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm I try to be very available, um, you know, and and honest, obviously.
• 1:24:18
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and then obviously in trust in the in this assistance, having female assistance is obviously important.
• 1:24:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um but to for it to work in the structure you're talking about, I think you would need a lot of very, very good communicators and leaders.
• 1:24:30
  SPEAKER_01: And I just don't in my experience I just there's not that many of them.
• 1:24:34
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, I'd rather I'd rather just be open, have good conversations, argue if we need to argue, you know, like I'd rather do that.
• 1:24:41
  SPEAKER_02: Because that's how families are.
• 1:24:42
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, there's there's arguments.
• 1:24:45
  SPEAKER_02: Arguments are actually kind of healthy sometimes.
• 1:24:47
  SPEAKER_02: And if if you're not arguing and you're just pent up and uh just keep everything to yourself, that creates a negative environment too, sometimes.
• 1:24:56
  SPEAKER_01: It's like when you talk about coaching, right?
• 1:24:58
  SPEAKER_01: If um you have that conversation like coach, I just feel like you're on me all the time.
• 1:25:02
  SPEAKER_01: So you want to feel that the next step is that I don't talk to you at all, that's way worse.
• 1:25:08
  SPEAKER_01: Imagine I'm not investing in you.
• 1:25:10
  SPEAKER_01: Right now you now you should be really worried.
• 1:25:12
  SPEAKER_01: If you don't ever feel any coaching from me, yeah, and I've checked out of you, that's that's that's the worst place to be.
• 1:25:19
  SPEAKER_01: I I think you should want the communication and the energy that I'm putting in.
• 1:25:23
  SPEAKER_01: Um obviously I've got to do it the right way, don't get me wrong.
• 1:25:25
  SPEAKER_01: But like of course that's the same thing I think with with the communications.
• 1:25:28
  SPEAKER_01: If there's somebody on the team that never comes to me and never talks to me, I'm asking them to come in because I'm worried about it.
• 1:25:34
  SPEAKER_01: You know what I mean?
• 1:25:35
  SPEAKER_01: Like there must be something wrong.
• 1:25:37
  SPEAKER_01: Um, because hopefully the environment is I come in and I chat with coach and we we talk and don't get me wrong, I don't want to know their life story, I don't want them in here all the time.
• 1:25:46
  SPEAKER_01: But they're welcome to do that if they um there are some lines, but um yeah, hopeful, hopefully all of it is just that we feel comfortable and connected with each other rather than expecting somebody else to do it or waiting for somebody else to do it is what I don't want.
• 1:26:02
  SPEAKER_02: Whenever I'm in a youth session, I always want to feel or I personally want to talk to every single player throughout the session.
• 1:26:10
  SPEAKER_02: I want to make sure every single person is seen.
• 1:26:15
  SPEAKER_02: Whether it's a coaching point, uh, could be a positive feedback, negative feedback, whatever, or just like just joking around when there's some downtime or something.
• 1:26:26
  SPEAKER_02: Do you do you knowingly go through that as a college coach?
• 1:26:31
  SPEAKER_02: Or is it more just like let's get the job done today, and then maybe your assistants are more of that uh kind of role of like, hey, feel the pulse of these players or something like that?
• 1:26:44
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think probably I think you're probably right.
• 1:26:48
  SPEAKER_01: I think it's I think that would be very valuable, especially you know, when we get to the really hard bits of the year and there are players and not playing and we don't want them to feel dis disengaged or pushed on the side.
• 1:27:00
  SPEAKER_02: Like not part of it and stuff like that.
• 1:27:02
  SPEAKER_01: Um but I I I I don't and I'm and I find myself getting lost in the in the session, you know.
• 1:27:09
  SPEAKER_01: So I do what I do try and do is have the assistants run either a full session or portions of it, and I try and step back so that I can give some feedback because I'm a coach, I want to coach.
• 1:27:21
  SPEAKER_01: And when you're coaching, you're in there and you're lost in there, and sometimes you're not even thinking about the actual players, you're actually focused on the session if it's a new activity or whatever.
• 1:27:29
  SPEAKER_01: So I do like to try and take a step back.
• 1:27:31
  SPEAKER_01: Um but no, I I and I'm sure I miss people when people feel like a lost connection.
• 1:27:37
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I I get the feedback from time to time, like, well, I just want you to I want you to coach me.
• 1:27:44
  SPEAKER_01: Well I think I'm doing that, but like maybe I'm not.
• 1:27:46
  SPEAKER_01: So um, yeah, perhaps.
• 1:27:48
  SPEAKER_01: And I I would probably rely on the assistance as well to catch somebody who maybe their mood is down or they're they're looking disengaged, and and to be fair, Jenna and Keen are good at that.
• 1:27:59
  SPEAKER_01: Like Jenna.
• 1:28:00
  SPEAKER_01: Especially is very good at like reading people's body language and perhaps just not megging them or something and getting them smiling and you know what I mean?
• 1:28:10
  SPEAKER_01: Like that's she's a that's why I think I'm excited about the staff is we are a good balance, yeah, of me being angry and then being organized and nice and recognizing when to pick somebody up, but also can hold people accountable.
• 1:28:25
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 1:28:26
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah.
• 1:28:27
  SPEAKER_02: How much do you like get to know the players before they even get here through their club staff and everything like that?
• 1:28:36
  SPEAKER_02: Or do you really just want to go see them?
• 1:28:39
  SPEAKER_02: Like how many times do you want to go see a player before you say I want her?
• 1:28:44
  SPEAKER_01: This 28 the 28th class, I'd say that's the first time we've done that the most, just because we had the time.
• 1:28:50
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 1:28:51
  SPEAKER_02: So we were whereas 27 was kind of rush.
• 1:28:53
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 1:28:54
  SPEAKER_01: Um but I do trust I do I I do trust my gut as well.
• 1:28:59
  SPEAKER_01: Like I do um make I make snap judgments, and I don't mind like I rush into them, but I make judgments and I trust them.
• 1:29:09
  SPEAKER_01: Like I'm I feel like that's something one of my strengths is that I can pick up on some details just like the way they warmed up or the way they are they interact.
• 1:29:17
  SPEAKER_01: Like I feel like I can see little things that I like or don't.
• 1:29:21
  SPEAKER_01: Um so I don't say like I have a set out a number of times I need to see someone play, obviously the more the better.
• 1:29:26
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 1:29:27
  SPEAKER_01: Um and that's again that's another blessing of only having the 28 roster, but um on top of that, I think it is you know, I do have a convers I do try and have a conversation with a coach because um especially the ones that I trust I know that will tell me the bad and the good, and I think that's important because at the end of the day everybody has some bad.
• 1:29:47
  SPEAKER_01: It's just whether that bad fits in with what we want or we can handle it or whatever it is.
• 1:29:52
  SPEAKER_01: Um the the coaches that don't tell me those things are the ones that maybe we don't recruit as much of their players or whatever, you know what I mean.
• 1:30:00
  SPEAKER_02: Is 28 done?
• 1:30:01
  SPEAKER_02: Are you done with 28?
• 1:30:03
  SPEAKER_01: No, but we're close.
• 1:30:04
  SPEAKER_02: Like, okay, so let's say you have whatever amount of spots left for 28, and you know exactly who's gonna be here still.
• 1:30:14
  SPEAKER_02: Let's say it was a perfect world, nobody left.
• 1:30:17
  SPEAKER_02: No.
• 1:30:18
  SPEAKER_02: Do you are you looking for certain positions or are you looking for somebody within your system or within your style of play?
• 1:30:27
  SPEAKER_01: Style first, always.
• 1:30:28
  SPEAKER_01: Style first, always.
• 1:30:30
  SPEAKER_01: Um broad position does come into it, obviously, like Do you want more versatility?
• 1:30:35
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 1:30:36
  SPEAKER_02: Because okay.
• 1:30:37
  SPEAKER_01: Because we don't pick, we don't know what formation we'll play.
• 1:30:40
  SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
• 1:30:41
  SPEAKER_01: So we don't, you know, some some people's philosophy is that we play four, two, three, one and um we our six and they consider that their style, but it was really that's not a style.
• 1:30:52
  SPEAKER_01: No, that's a system.
• 1:30:53
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 1:30:54
  SPEAKER_01: We like like I said, we don't know what we're gonna play.
• 1:30:57
  SPEAKER_01: We're pretty close, but we don't know what we're gonna play against Illinois yet.
• 1:31:00
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 1:31:01
  SPEAKER_01: Because we we are working on the board to figure out what profiles we have and what looks good and what's healthy or whatever, and then we're gonna pick the system from there.
• 1:31:12
  SPEAKER_01: So it wouldn't make sense for us to pick uh, you know, like a certain style of midfielder.
• 1:31:20
  SPEAKER_01: What we look for is quality and the the profiles, like the the versatility is important too.
• 1:31:26
  SPEAKER_01: Um but mostly it's yeah, do they could they fit into our style?
• 1:31:31
  SPEAKER_01: Yes is more important than anything else.
• 1:31:33
  SPEAKER_01: Obviously, and then we like this this 28 class is basically a player a line.
• 1:31:40
  SPEAKER_01: In a way, it's we don't need a goalkeeper, so it's a it's a back line, it's a centre back or a defender.
• 1:31:45
  SPEAKER_01: It's some sort of defensive minor midfielder, an attacking midfielder, and a forward.
• 1:31:50
  SPEAKER_01: They could be wingers, they could be nines, they could be foot outside back, but it's just we want a good player in each line, and then we'll mould what we're gonna play around that.
• 1:32:00
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 1:32:01
  SPEAKER_02: And I like the versatility part because I feel that, especially for younger like freshmen, I feel like you'll get on the field earlier if you can play the nine, the seven, and the eleven, the oh yeah, or the A and the Ten, you'll get on the field earlier than if you uh can only play the ten.
• 1:32:20
  SPEAKER_02: Well, there's two tens ahead of you.
• 1:32:22
  SPEAKER_01: You wait in for three or three years to play.
• 1:32:24
  SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
• 1:32:25
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and we want them to have uh like key strengths and things that they do better than anybody else, but we don't want that.
• 1:32:33
  SPEAKER_01: That key strength shouldn't be the position, if that makes sense.
• 1:32:36
  SPEAKER_01: Like my what are you what are you best at?
• 1:32:38
  SPEAKER_01: I'm best at being the ten.
• 1:32:40
  SPEAKER_01: Why?
• 1:32:41
  SPEAKER_01: Like I'm best at threading through balls or shooting from distance.
• 1:32:45
  SPEAKER_01: Everybody has to have something that they're better at than everybody's.
• 1:32:49
  SPEAKER_01: But we don't want that to be the position, we want that to be a player trait profile.
• 1:32:54
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 1:32:55
  SPEAKER_02: That makes sense.
• 1:32:56
  SPEAKER_02: When you so when you were talking about like working on your defending, are you working in like individual group or team?
• 1:33:04
  SPEAKER_01: So we've we haven't split, so we've done everything as a team so far.
• 1:33:08
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 1:33:08
  SPEAKER_01: We've so last week was basically principle based.
• 1:33:12
  SPEAKER_01: So it was just um I mean it was as simple but as important as um like rest shape, uh rest body shape.
• 1:33:21
  SPEAKER_01: Um that was our first focus, was just like ready positions and because we wanted to be able to spring.
• 1:33:26
  SPEAKER_01: So we talked about that, and then um yeah, it was all all principles, all how we defend as an individual to a pair to a line to a team to a team so that they have a framework to fall back on all the time, and then we will go obviously when we get to games and we'll do the specifics when it's based on what formation we're playing against and right what they their style is and that sort of thing.
• 1:33:53
  SPEAKER_02: Got it.
• 1:33:53
  SPEAKER_02: So but the reason why I asked that is because you don't know what formation you're gonna go into a game with the ball, right?
• 1:34:00
  SPEAKER_02: But you might be able to do that already without the ball, you think?
• 1:34:04
  SPEAKER_02: Like, oh I want to defend in a 4-4.
• 1:34:07
  SPEAKER_01: Same we're gonna base it off of who we have, because also, you know, like you've got you if you could have the best mate plans, and this happened to us, someone who we would heavily rely upon came in injured, you know, so yeah, you have to change, and so what we were what we've tried to do is just instill some real clear um like player traits and like things that we need to see all of our players do for now in these first two weeks, again helps that we have this transition period, and then starting tomorrow we'll get much more specific to the things you're talking about.
• 1:34:42
  SPEAKER_01: Got it.
• 1:34:43
  SPEAKER_01: Um so that's that's also helped that extra period of time's helped us get more detailed with each player, which is awesome.
• 1:34:49
  SPEAKER_02: How excited are you?
• 1:34:52
  SPEAKER_01: And you're like finally like, well, it's like you got the job eight months ago, and now you're like Yeah, sometimes it feels like it was ages ago, like I feel like I've been here for ages, and then I think like, no, it was really, really quick.
• 1:35:05
  SPEAKER_01: Like we haven't even started yet.
• 1:35:06
  SPEAKER_01: No, we haven't even started.
• 1:35:07
  SPEAKER_01: No, I'm super excited.
• 1:35:08
  SPEAKER_01: I'm excited to honestly the other reason I'm excited is like I feel like we feel pretty good.
• 1:35:14
  SPEAKER_01: Like the girls have worked really hard, they've they're really excited, they're competing really well.
• 1:35:20
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm not gonna tell you that we're gonna win the conference this year, but I think we'll surprise some teams, and that's our goal.
• 1:35:25
  SPEAKER_01: Our only goal is surprise people.
• 1:35:28
  SPEAKER_02: Have any of the the returning girls be like, this feels different, this is like this is just a different not culture, but uh just a different vibe.
• 1:35:40
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, they and they do say that now obviously they might just say that to me to be nice, but um no, I I I you know the cool thing is like I got a phone call the other day from somebody who's um in the recruiting world, and he's just like I just want to let you know, like I spoke to so and so and they're just like it's just different, like it's just it's just it feels different, and that's exciting.
• 1:36:01
  SPEAKER_01: Um so no, I I do think that they see they see the difference and feel the different energy, which is gonna be needed, you know.
• 1:36:09
  SPEAKER_01: It's that's what we want.
• 1:36:10
  SPEAKER_01: So um I think Keaton says the same, it just feels more what she wants it to feel like.
• 1:36:16
  SPEAKER_02: So good, yeah, love it, yeah.
• 1:36:18
  SPEAKER_02: I got a gift for you, and for the staff, well, however you want to use it.
• 1:36:23
  SPEAKER_02: So I got a I got a sponsor.
• 1:36:24
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, and I have it's uh it's GoPro on my.
• 1:36:28
  SPEAKER_02: Are you familiar with them at all?
• 1:36:29
  SPEAKER_02: I've seen them on uh dude.
• 1:36:31
  SPEAKER_02: Dude, okay, so some coaching books, and then a magnet, and then just a coaching board.
• 1:36:41
  SPEAKER_02: Awesome.
• 1:36:42
  SPEAKER_02: With a bag, that's sweet.
• 1:36:44
  SPEAKER_02: So that is do with that as you will.
• 1:36:48
  SPEAKER_02: And like he sent me a bunch of stuff, and I'm like, alright, the first one that I'm gonna give away is to James.
• 1:36:53
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, first one as well.
• 1:36:55
  SPEAKER_01: First one, man.
• 1:36:56
  SPEAKER_01: I appreciate that, man.
• 1:36:57
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and then uh good luck, appreciate it, and I appreciate you having me.
• 1:37:02
  SPEAKER_01: No, thank you for coming.
• 1:37:03
  SPEAKER_01: Um I watch all the the podcasts, so I love it.
• 1:37:06
  SPEAKER_01: Do an awesome job.
• 1:37:07
  SPEAKER_01: And uh you're gonna be down at the convention?
• 1:37:09
  SPEAKER_02: At the expo?
• 1:37:10
  SPEAKER_02: Yep.
• 1:37:11
  SPEAKER_02: I'll be there Thursday.
• 1:37:13
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, what Thursday through Saturday.
• 1:37:17
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah uh in uh Flint.
• 1:37:19
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah, is that this weekend?
• 1:37:21
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it's uh Saturday.
• 1:37:23
  SPEAKER_02: I'm trying to get uh Vermont on as well, the Vermont Green, because they won it last year, didn't they?
• 1:37:30
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, they're legit.
• 1:37:31
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, so is Bucks, and now they have Steve Clark.
• 1:37:35
  SPEAKER_02: That's not fair, no an MLS goalkeeper, but whatever.
• 1:37:39
  SPEAKER_02: But appreciate it, man.
• 1:37:41
  SPEAKER_02: No, thank you, man.
• 1:37:42
  SPEAKER_02: Appreciate you.
• 1:37:42
  SPEAKER_01: Yep.
• 1:37:43
  SPEAKER_02: I hate soccer.