to get out on the field , he just simply got the work done . That ’ s who I was as a player , and I realized that many of our players would benefit so much more from these moments where the game was stripped down to just themselves and the ball . That particular player is now an incredible young man living on the West Coast and we still stay in touch , but I don ’ t know if he knows how much he changed the entire program that day .
Philosophically , the evolution of our play was never drastic , but certainly constant . The commitment to technical development was a trait that I developed with the coaches I was fortunate to have as a young player , but learning how to mesh that with our tactical identity was a challenge I loved encountering . Playing on high school fields meant teaching principles that could work on a perfectly manicured , 70-yard-wide pitch that was catered to soccer , as well as a 60-yard-wide field , surrounded by a track , that may be shared with up to nine other teams . We were creative in our weekly approach , managing workloads with our session outlines while balancing the tight academic calendar on campus . One of the best adjustments we made included compiling a comprehensive offseason program . We developed a points system that included off-season workouts , participation in additional sports and club teams , strength and conditioning sessions and even community service outings . This reinforced player ’ s commitment to our program and , ultimately , to themselves .
Looking back on what I can only describe as the best 12-year period of my life , I ’ m grateful for all of the moments , although it ’ s easy to find a few that stand out . We upset my highly ranked alma mater on their senior night in 2012 , ended a 10-year drought against our archrival in 2015 and followed it up with a first-ever road win against them the following year , advanced to a state championship game , developed and managed three different tournaments , and hosted championship matches and collegiate ID camps . But the best moments were when the collegiate graduation invitations came in my mailbox ; or when a young man would drop in after he got out of school for Winter Break ; or when a match ended and I ’ d look behind the bench and see that kid who “ couldn ’ t wait to graduate ” wearing his old pregame top … even if it didn ’ t fit the quite same .
On our record , we were fairly successful . But the way we truly gauge our success is in the type of people that we helped create . The employees and employers , boyfriends , husbands , fathers , and overall citizens are the wins that I ’ ll claim that will last me a lifetime . n
July Bulletin | 11