Your resume is soccer-centric with a background in management. I'm guessing soccer is your first love. A love of sport often carries us through life; sometimes there is joy, drama, etc., it can bring out the best in human nature. How will your management experience dovetail with the head coaching position working with young men? I am guessing it helps a lot - a head coach is really an upper management position.
Soccer is indeed a love of mine and I have been involved with the game for over 50 years. My management experience as a parks and recreation administrator has enabled me to allow the players to focus on the on-field requirements of the game and the team element as I do the best I can to provide them with a positive experience without having to be distracted with the many requirements that student-athletes face. Being organized, creating long-range schedules, and getting out timely and accurate information on the plethora of student services MCC offers lightens the load for our team.
Soccer was at the forefront of a big sports summer. Highlighting the summer was Euro 2024 and Copa America, plus the Summer Olympic games. Do you see any trends in soccer when watching these games? More scoring? More defense? Are players more skilled than in years past? Do you get ideas of how to approach the game when watching these high-level tournaments?
This summer was truly amazing for top-level soccer. I see numerous trends in the game right now which include lower scoring due to excellent defending, great transitional play, and the highest skill levels of all players on the field I've ever seen with accurate passing, great ball control, and a level of patience employed by teams to adjust and revert to their desired style of play. I certainly look to have our team emulate these attributes and am excited to see them play with discipline and be able to demonstrate their skills with the ball and movement off the ball.
When you approach this head coaching job how do you go about recruiting in the area? Lots of talent and a lot of clubs, etc. Do you recruit more from high schools or club teams? What is the one intangible characteristic you look for when getting to know a player?
Recruiting started immediately when I started in late January and I'm over the top on the new players coming in along with our returning players. McHenry County is a hotbed for soccer and all players are from local high schools and/or clubs. I was able to quickly connect with both high school coaches and clubs to let them know we are launching a whole new vision for the program and we have gotten buy-in and support from those coaches and clubs. One key characteristic I look for is coachability. Every player must be able to accept new philosophies and methods to reach our goals. Another key characteristic is team. Having highly skilled players does not always result in success unless all players understand and embrace their roles and understand they are one of eleven on the field and one of twenty-plus players on the roster. A key part of that team concept is trust in the program and each other.
When a player comes to MCC they can have two years to succeed and develop. Do you find that players often want to move on to a four-year school after MCC or do they just love soccer and want to play two more years for fun?
I see both scenarios. We have some great players coming in who have said "I love soccer and I really want to keep playing for a few years" and some who wish to move on to four-year schools and possibly play. I was very pleased when I was able to help one of our former players from a few years ago move to a high-level D3 program and I will continue to develop relationships with four-year program coaches to help any of our players move on. I see many of our current players, new and returning, that have a future in going to the next level.
Every coach has goals. Can you help outline some goals you have for this year and let's say five years from now?
Great question. We have developed a vision for the program which is to have MCC be the preferred school to attend and play soccer in northern Illinois. On-field goals to help achieve that vision include annual improvements in goals for, goals against, a better overall record every year, reaching the top half of the conference, and then competing for our conference title and having deep runs in regionals. Off-field goals include a minimum of a 3.0 team GPA, scholar-athlete awards, and higher graduation rates. In addition, we have developed a year-round training program to help keep our athletes in prime physical condition and keep them playing. Team building trips and experiences are another element of our program. We have participated in a 7 v 7 tournament this spring and have gone on a team-building trip to a ropes course and have the Marine Corps coming in to do some team-building physical challenges during our pre-season time in early August. All of this revolves around the team and trust elements we have employed.
Last year MCC Soccer did not win a lot, but so often the players were hard-working. Are there any returners from last year you are excited about? Is there a player or players you would like to highlight in this interview, a newcomer or an existing player?
It's difficult to single out returning players who will step up their game even more as I believe all of them will do so and provide valuable leadership to the entire team. I do believe in positional versatility and I envision some returnees moving to positions they can better excel at. I also believe that we have assembled a roster with extensive depth in all areas of the team and I trust every one of our players to be a starter and/or contribute greatly coming on the field during a game.
