Alabama State University Women’s Soccer – Coach Jodie Smith
On today’s episode, I speak with Coach Smith from the Alabama State Women’s Program. We talk about how he prefers recruiting high school players over transfers. He describes the great historical significance of the school and city. Lastly, we discuss their off season program. Learn more about Alabama State University Women’s Soccer.
Matt: [00:00:00] Hi everybody. Welcome to Discover College Soccer. We are lucky enough to be joined here at the United Soccer Con, uh, United Soccer Coaches Convention in Philly by coach Jody Smith from Alabama State. Welcome coach. Thanks for having me. Yeah, thanks for being here. You know, uh, you guys got a nice, uh, a nice D one women’s program there in Montgomery, Alabama.
Uh, and you know, we’re sitting here, I’m, uh, at the convention. I’m watching all, uh, this is the day where a lot of the kids get to come and collect their awards and things and things like that. So, uh, you know, This might be some of the, some of the folks you’re trying to recruit, uh, these days. Maybe, uh, some of these if we’re lucky, these high school.
Absolutely. Uh, great players here, but, so, uh, first question for you, Jodi. You know, right now it’s showcase season, right? All the, all the tournaments happening. Have you guys locked in your 23 class? Are you looking still to find some? You looked at 20 fours. What’s that like for you?
Coach: So for us, 20 threes, uh, we have completed.
Um, and we’re really now starting to look at those, that 24 class and then starting to take a peak if we can, at 25, 26. But pretty much our, our attention’s on 20 fours now. Okay.
Matt: And. , are there tournaments that, that are kind of the, the, the must see TV on your list, places you like to go each year to to see players?
Coach: Well, certainly, you know, you wanna hit some of the, some of those big events, the ECNLs, another thing, but, uh, a big makeup of our team has been West Coast kids, oddly enough, being from Alabama. Yeah. And one of the [00:01:30] really big showcases I’ve been fortunate to hit over the last many years is that player’s showcase out in Las Vegas.
Um, this year I’m gonna hit the Jefferson Cup. Uh, instead, but we do the ECNL events, the GA events. And then, uh, I’m real big on if we can find Alabama players. And there’s a little small coat showcase down in Foley early December called the Gulf State Showcase. We hit that one. Um, and then we try to branch out.
We hit about four to five events a year.
Matt: Okay. . Now, do you guys do any ID camps or do you or your staff work external camps? How do camps fit in?
Coach: Little bit of both. So we do do an I, id, ID camps, uh, we do about three of those a year. Um, actually we just completed one and, uh, generally we like to do it, uh, when schools in sessions so, uh, the people come in, can meet our players, see those sort of things.
Um, And get a good idea of what the school is like. Uh, we, we do recruit heavily out of our id, ID camp for the last probably six years. We’ve probably signed, uh, at least. Two out of every ID camp. So it is, that’s a great thing for, uh, upcoming players, be it freshmen moving up is to get on campus to interact with the coach.
We don’t bring in outside coaches, it’s just our staff. So they’re on, they’re with us technical, the small side of games on the full side of games, and they’re with us the whole time. So they see it. Uh, and then I’m a director, um, for the Ralph Lundy Soccer Academy. It’s a big, big, uh, camp down in the southeast.
Mm-hmm. , coach Lundy is the former. Coach at [00:03:00] the College of Charleston. Yeah, yeah.
Matt: No, that’s great. Well, in terms of recruits coming on campus besides camps, do you guys do a lot of official visits with players? How does that work for, for you guys?
Coach: Right. So what ultimately what we try to do is we try to identify and get players on campus, um, on unofficial visits early spring.
Um, and then ultimately for us, we’d like to have our commitments all set and that’s who we bring in our unofficial visits. We do not make offers to anyone unless they’ve been on campus, cuz I want them to be able to see, um, what, uh, the campus is like with people on there. Uh, see the whole thing. I know during Covid, I dunno if we’re gonna talk about it a lot, but the portal’s there.
But after that, after that covid year, Um, there were a lot of kids that, to me, were panicking and, and rightfully so because there was unknown times. Yeah. Um, but obviously they, some of, a lot of these players, boys and girls accepted scholarships to places they probably haven’t visited. Um, so I think it’s, uh, we want them to have an open eye and to see what the whole university’s about to get on campus, see everything so they can make an educated decision.
Matt: Yeah. And, and, and actually, you, you, you read my mind. I was gonna say, Uh, that’s one of the big things that has changed, especially since covid is the emergence or, or the use of the transfer portal. [00:04:30] Um, h how has that affected your recruiting at all?
Coach: I’m a big proponent, uh, Of getting high school players, um, you have them for four years.
Uh, in college soccer, that transfer rule has always been there. Um, the big three did not have that opportunity, but in saher you always allowed that one transfer, one exception of the transfer rule. Um, it could benefit you. You know, there’s maybe there’s players, good players that went to a program that maybe didn’t see the time that they wanted that were quality players that maybe I got.
We have a girl that transferred back to us that we recruited heavily, went to another university, played, but not, uh, A lot and someone we really wanted and now she’s transferred back to us in the spring. So it can benefit you. It works both. I think it’s a nice thing to have for players and for coaches.
Um, it’s just sometimes I think it gets, uh, not taken advantage of, but. It’s used for the wrong reasons. Sure. As long as we use ’em for the right reasons, each the program and the player can benefit. Yeah.
Matt: Well, in a lot of places, uh, there’s been a rise of, uh, international recruiting. Right, right. So does, does international recruiting fit in at Alabama State at all?
Coach: So generally we may have two to three players, uh, of international. And for us, they have to be difference makers. Um, in the past, you know, international kids know a lot about college soccer [00:06:00] now, where I’ve been, been doing this 30 years and when I was first gotten started, uh, you know, internet was just kind of coming along and so they can find that information.
Back then, specifically you could get high level players that if they were American, maybe you’re not on their. Uh, but for us, they have to be difference makers, but we do not have a team full of them. I think this coming year we’ll have to read. Okay.
Matt: Well, whether it’s international or transfer portal or at Jeff Cup or camp, kind of what’s your hierarchy of things that you’re looking for in a player when you’re making an offer?
Coach: Oh, fantastic. So, um, everyone recruits, players and, and the level of coaching across our country now has risen to a pretty high level. It’s constantly getting better. So most of the girls we’re looking. Already have the technical skills and, um, because coaches, the youth coaches now are just starting to really do a good job.
And there’s so many 400 players that are youth coaches really impacting that. So we look for players that have the things that we cannot coach. They obviously, they’ve gotta be good on the ball and those sort of things. That’s, that’s a, a given. But do they have things that we can’t coach effort? Are they, uh, not entitled?
Do they understand? It, this is gonna be a hard work. And do they accept that? Are they willing to defend, you know, if we’re, we’re a lunch pale team, if you will, all, all 11 players, Goldie Lord, have to work hard, have to defend, have to do everything. So if you’re a Ford, We [00:07:30] can’t afford to have a Ford, um, that doesn’t work to defend.
So if, if, you know, we’re watching and they’re not tracking back, if that’s not a player we’re gonna be really interested in. I’d love to get to when we’re at showcases. And sometimes you may only see a quarter of a game. So I really try to be there before the game at halftime or any of the game because I wanna see the interaction with the coaches.
You know, is the coach with the coaches talking? Are we engaged or are we kinda looking down or do we have our phone? Are we warm, we up properly? Um, at halftime, are you engaged in listening or are you just kind of eyes wandering off and then really after the game, um, Do we help clean up the area? Do we grab the ball balls for the coat?
What do we do? Those sort of things. My greatest example, and I’ve used this the past couple years, there was a softball player at Alabama, Montana Fhelps. I think she threw, I think it was two or three years ago, maybe the fifth. No-hitter in college World Softball World Series history. After the game, there’s a picture of.
Um, that’s a two time All American just did all that. She’s carrying a bat bag back to her bus. That’s the player I want.
Matt: I love it. I love it. Well, let’s talk a little bit more about the school, cuz I’m sure there’s some folks out there who aren’t familiar with Alabama State and Right. And I mean, it is an H B C U I’ve, I’ve talked to Absolutely, yes.
A few others. And, and I think there might be some, some misconceptions about really what an H B C U is and who you. You’ve been at Alabama State for a number of years. [00:09:00] Kind of give me the, the, the awesome things about Alabama State that maybe I’m not gonna find out just by clicking through the website.
Coach: Wow. So yeah, you said it. We’re obviously an hvu. H B C U comes with a ton of history in Montgomery, Alabama, and today’s day and time we’re learning about so many different things. It just definitely gives, uh, kids an experience that maybe they’re not, it’s different and. The level of play in our, in our league is, is risen to a, a really good level.
We’ve getting good assistant coaching, all, all those, all those things. Um, but with Alabama state uniquely in Montgomery, Alabama obviously is very, his very, uh, historical and civil rights movement. Uh, you know, Dr. King, his church was there. Uh, the planning for, uh, The bus thing. Yeah. Planned literally in the building across from my office,
Um, and when you walk around campus and up and down, uh, Dexter Avenue and you see all the historical markers, um, Tuskegee airmen are 30 minutes away, 30 minutes away, and the other direction is Selma and that that civil rights mark, that civil rights trail all through there. It’s very unique and it, it’s empowering.
We have the, uh, the E G I Museum of Montgomery, very emotional, very powerful, and that’s what Montgomery brings. It’s obviously the state capital, so they’re actually four universities in Montgomery, so it’s a nice [00:10:30] city. Um, but it has that historical side. Our athletic program, our facilities are really 10 years old or less.
Um, and I, if you want a good quality education, um, at a historical place that you feel that you can make an impact, you’re gonna be more of a big fish and a small pond as opposed to a small fish in a big pond. And if you come to our program, I feel like in four years, Um, you will leave and felt like you had a great experience.
Matt: Oh, that’s great. Well, and let’s talk a little bit more about the school side of things. You know, one of the hardest things student athletes have to do is balance, you know, their academics with the sport commitment. So specifically, how do your players do that and, and what kind of support mechanisms does the school provide to help them with that?
Coach: Huh. So, I, uh, I was not the best student. Uh, I went to, uh, I went to lsu. Obviously in, in Louisiana, I had a really good time. I was not an athlete, didn’t have those, those demands. Um, but our team Gpa and I’ve been there, has not dropped below a three four. Um, every univer university has it. I’m very proud of ours.
We recruit players. Again, my, our job is not to be a. Be a babysitter. They have to understand that a mans and expectations. Um, and, but we have every department, ha, every university has it. We have a part of our athletic department, academic support, um, that really oversees everything from an academic standpoint at the university.
So our players, uh, have [00:12:00] someone that they go to directly with any issue academically, be it tutoring. Class schedule, making sure I’m on progress towards degree, so I remain eligible. What, what it looks like for me post-graduate, helping me prepare for those things, um, that I’m gonna experience when I graduate.
We have a whole department that handles all that stuff. Uh, and I’m, I’m really quite pleased cuz our players do AC academically and. Beyond college have done so many wonderful things.
Matt: Oh, that’s tremendous. Well, take me back to the fall, uh, you know, in the season, what would a normal week look like for a player in terms of winter classes, winning meals, practice?
What’s your, the game cadence and getting used to that kind of thing? What would that look like for a player?
Coach: So our games are usually Friday. Pretty typical. And then Mondays is generally that off day. That’s like, that’s the catch up day. Do, you know, catch up on academics, especially if we’re getting back off the road.
Do, is there any little rehab that you gotta see the trainer about Monday’s a specifically for that? Um, we do a film session. Is it voluntary? And usually pretty much everybody comes, um, you know, we only have those 20 hours under a week. So if you make it mandatory at counting at 20, we don’t make it mandatory.
Maybe one day you’ve got a lab or you’ve gotta catch up on something. We don’t make it mandatory, but I, I’m proud to say most of ours make it. Then on Tuesday, uh, in season, uh, like in the fall, we lift two days a week, [00:13:30] seven, eight in the morning. Whole separate coaching staff that does that. Soccer coaches aren’t even in there.
It is the, your lifting program. Conditioning program is specific to our team. You’re not doing, you’re not, you know, putting the, uh, the plates on that football’s doing. , it’s specifically designed for us. Um, on Tuesdays and Thursdays we practice 11 to 1245. And on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, um, pending games.
Three to five and then again Friday. Sunday, and then off we go. Thursday. Normally, like I said, we play Friday. Sunday if it’s, if it’s an away game. Uh, after waits, we leave about nine 30 in the morning so they can lift seven, eight, half time to get breakfast, relax, get their stuff to the bus, and then off we go.
Matt: Okay. Well, let’s talk a little bit more about the, the soccer side of things. Um, and, and I guess my first question would be, do you have a roster size that you feel is ideal that you try to hit every year?
Coach: Well, when I was a younger coach, uh, I didn’t like as many players. But I’m, I’m, what happens is sometimes you get some injuries here, somewhere there and all of a sudden like this, and then you don’t have enough to train.
Um, one of the issues that we have at Alabama State is, um, so we’re about 6,000 students, so we’re not a large university. When I went to college, we might have had, uh, English, there might have been 20, 25 sections of English. We don’t have that many. Um, and I’m very supportive of our players. If you want to have a degree program that you wanna say that, that we offer, I’m gonna support you in that.
So [00:15:00] maybe as you get older, um, you have to come late and or leave early. So that affects roster size. I’m, I’m, I’m now looking at the 25 to 28. That I think works out well because in the spring, you know, once you’re finished your eligibility, uh, we don’t have seniors play, so that obviously cuts down the numbers that are gonna train in the spring.
So if you have that little bit higher number, um, has people to train in the spring cause it’s where you want to accomplish things. And when we go on the road, we’re allowed to travel with everybody during the regular season. So we don’t, there is no no travel roster. We leave everybody with, uh, when it’s all said and done as a college athlete, you’re gonna remember a little, maybe one big gamer there and you might remember.
So she’s, she was a really good player, but at the end of the day, you’re gonna re remember the experiences with your team and being on the road on the bus is kind of what you remember. Back in my day when I first started coaching, we took 15 passenger vans, and if I see the players now, when we, when we meet or I see.
That’s what they want to talk about. They wanna talk about, Hey coach, did you know that we did this in the back of the van? Or you know, of course. No clue. Right, right. You know, so those are the experiences that you, it, it’s hard to be a college athlete, there’s no doubt about it. But when it’s all said and done, it’s worth it because those are the memories you’re gonna look back on.
Matt: Yeah. Well as I, and when I was a senior in college, I remember I had to drive one of those 15 van you go cuz the coach was driving the other one. Yeah. So in terms of spring, you mentioned, right. Um, you know, [00:16:30] it is, it is January while we’re talking and, and I’m sure your players are getting ready to back, come back to school.
So what does your spring slash off season look like?
Coach: Gotcha. So we, we’ve really just returned, uh, to school. this past Wednesday, we got back in the weight room, uh, in the spring. We lived three days a week, and, um, so as a Monday, Wednesday, Friday from seven to eight, we actually only trained three days a week, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.
Um, my, my kind of philosophy and thoughts of in the season you play office every week. If you’re, you only get five days in the spring for us to play. That’s a lot of time of practice before you. Um, so we try to maximize our time and we ask our strength coach to do a little, little bit more in the spring.
That’s when we wanna see their bodies change, become a division one athlete, know what it’s like in the weight room. Um, but we do lift three, uh, practice three days a week. We do play our five days of competition. Um, that goes, uh, our first spring, spring, our first practice will be the first Tuesday in February, two weeks later is our first game, and we go all the way through.
Our last spring game is April 15th. Um, and then basically, Uh, what about two weeks later is dead period and graduations May 8th, roughly this year. So the spring goes fast.
Matt: Yeah. Okay. Well, we talked about roster and, uh, but the other thing we need to talk about is, is your staff. How big is your staff? What role does everybody play there?
Coach: [00:18:00] So I’m the head coach and then I have two full-time assistants. Um, One of the assistants was the goalkeeper coach. She’s exclusive with the goalkeepers. Um, I do incorporate fishers. I do not have field, I do not have cone movers. Everybody’s involved of what we do. Um, I do not want, yes, people, I want them to challenge me on playing time.
Uh, who’s playing where, input and practice, all those sort of things. Uh, Our first assistant is, uh, Marissa Parker, college player. Played in Georgia. Uh, and then our second assistant, Cody Johnson, played the division school school in, in Kansas. And, uh, they bring really a lot to the table, really a lot to the table.
And I put a lot on their plate as far as, um, obviously they’re very involved in practice sessions, um, practice planning, all those sort of things. They’re involve, their, their charge is, Um, the video review, the video scouting, breaking the clips down for all that sort of stuff. Um, Marissa’s our recruiting coordinator and she gets out the road a, a fair amount, um, and we start getting our big board of names and we start narrowing that, narrowing that down.
Um, and Marissa’s actually, there’s like a little semi-pro team about, uh, an hour away in Columbus, Georgia that she’s actually playing on, uh, this spring as well. So she’s got her plate full, absolutely. Support her. Doing it Doesn’t affect anything that we do. And then, um, bless you. Sorry. No worries. Uh, but it’s a very much col a collaborative effort.
Um, no ego is involved. What can everybody bring to the table, make our team better.
Matt: No, that’s awesome. [00:19:30] Well, in terms of, you mentioned video and, uh, one of the things we’ve seen here at the convention is, uh, a whole lot of technology and analysis and. Are you guys doing using any of that? Are you using any of the GPS stuff or, or what, what, what kind of video do you use?
Is it with practice or just games? What’s that like?
Coach: So, uh, we’re, I’m a big proponent of the vo voo. I’m not, how to say it. Um, again, we’re. We’re a mid major university, maybe a little bit limited resources where we don’t have a lot of the, sometimes some of the support. Um, so VO is fantastic because I don’t have to have somebody film the game.
They do it for us now. They’ve broken down the analytics side of it, adding more to that. So we’re gonna see what that’s like this year and maybe, you know, we’ve used video breakdown before, but we’re gonna see what that looks like. Um, Um, we do film practice. Uh, the other thing that VO allows us to do is now we do, we are able to stream games, all those things.
Um, we spring all our home games. We take it on the road. If the, if the home team is streaming, then obviously we don’t stream, but we will use it to record. So we have, we still have that, that information. Um, if they’re not streaming, obviously we will stream. Um, they’re during practice. We just filmed the practice with an, with an old school camera.
Um, so we can download it quick and get moving with it. . But yeah, technology is, you know, kids wanna know information these days and they wanna know what fast. Um, they have it in their hand, they’re visual learners turn out, which is maybe a different from a different time. Kids today are very connected [00:21:00] and we wanna do as much as we can to put the information on our team in their hands.
As fast as we can.
Matt: No, that that, that’s great cuz I know, uh, we, we talked to some, some of the analysis companies and, and seen stuff and it, it just seems to be going gang crashers these days. Crazy. And, and that’s awesome. Well, in terms of on the field, How would you describe your style of coaching and your team style of play?
Coach: Uh, you know, I’m not gonna hide behind it. I would call myself demanding. And my, my job is to get the best from you that I can, because our team’s only gonna be successful if I do. Um, but I’m very fair, um, some, uh, different philosophy for every coach. Um, if you come in under your, and you do the work and you’re a positive member of the team, I’m gonna find a way to get you minutes and all minutes aren’t created fair.
If it’s zero, zero, Towards the end of the first half and we, we, maybe a defender is, well we play in Montgomery, Alabama, so it’s hot and all, you know, about one o’clock game and I need to get, you know, and she’s starting to fade a little bit, especially early in this season. We’ve just coming outta preseason and I sub you in at zero zero.
That those are quality minutes. That’s not, I am gonna just gonna throw you in there for five minutes. I try to find a way to get players on the field and can they turn that five in, the 10 at 10 to 20, whatever, you know. Uh, so I really, I really believe in that. Um, some, you know, it’s not, uh, , I got my 11, I’m gonna go with it now.
Also, if my 11 are playing well, there’s no reason for me [00:22:30] to make a change. Right. So, uh, so it’s, that’s, that’s the hard, that’s the hardest part. I coach you on oh seven team as well in Montgomery Youth Soccer. And the one thing I talk to ’em about, um, when, when they get to that level, , you know, the coach’s job is to win.
And sometimes we have a hard time dealing with that. And sometimes I wish, uh, some, some of the, these other coaches, club coaches stuff would really lean into, lean into that little more from a parent education standpoint. Uh, but like I said, I’m very fair. Uh, I would say our style of play is a counter attacking type team.
Um, we’re not gonna ticky talkie to death. We’re not gonna pass it for a hundred times like Spain, then decide we want to go. Um, I would say we ask our defenders, uh, we look for the highest pass up the field. The most open player is open, you know, first far fast feet. If our back can play our nine target, that takes the fours and midfields outta the equation.
Now we’re behind two-thirds of their team and we look to get around them. High drop change is kind of how I call it. Um, but it’s not on, we’ll keep it, we’ll try to do possession and, and get around. My philosophy is that the longer it stays in our defensive third to more problems, if we can get outta there fastly and get it on their end, the better off for us.
Yeah.
Matt: No, I like it. Well, uh, we’ve talked about a lot of different things and, and covered a lot of ground, and I always like to end these the same way and that’s what didn’t we cover? What else would you like folks to know, whether it’s about the recruiting process, Alabama State or anything college soccer related?
I, I leave you with the last word.
Coach: Uh, well, I, we, we, we covered a lot. Uh, [00:24:00] the one thing is maybe, maybe just recruiting. I know because all, all teams in, uh, areas of the country are not created the same. Me and Montgomery, I understand that we don’t have an ECNL level team at our, at our, in our town. Um, those sort of things, uh, and really just comes to recruiting.
My biggest thing is, Be, be a self starter. Don’t, don’t count on someone to do it for you. Um, and if you’re really interested in doing it yourself, you take the lead with mom and dad. Don’t have mom and dad do it because mom and dad aren’t gonna play for that coach. Uh, and hit those. Uh, the best way to get interaction with a coach and kind of know where you’re coming from is to be at their ID camp.
Someone that you know, you get a chance to be on their campus. Interact with them, all those sort of things. For me, that’s the biggest thing coming from Montgomery where we don’t have an EC level team and it’s always a big question. Um, but I think we covered a lot. I appreciate the opportunity to talk about Alabama state and the things that, uh, especially the, the school and the history of the university in our program.
Matt: So I appreciate it. No, thanks for being here. And it was, uh, it was a great conversation. Wish you the best of luck here in the spring and in the fall, and we’ll keep an eye on you and, and if you get down to Bradenton for any of the ECNL events, give you a reign. Absolutely. And, and we’ll grab a cup of coffee.
All right. That. Awesome. Thanks coach.
Coach: Thank you.
